Brad Binder targets confidence boost at Indonesian Grand Prix
A fourth place at Mandalika last year offered a KTM rider a glimmer of hope after a difficult run of results, with just five rounds remaining before his move to WorldSBK.
Brad Binder will be hoping to regain his confidence at the Indonesian Grand Prix this weekend, with the Mandalika circuit offering a reminder of better days as he enters the final five rounds of his MotoGP career, reports The Citizen,
The Red Bull KTM rider has not stood on the podium since the opening round of the premier class in 2024. However, his fourth place at the Mandalika street circuit last year was his best finish in his last 45 main races.
The South African has had little time to recover after suffering a heavy crash during qualifying at last weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. He salvaged an 11th place in the main race but will be hoping for a stronger result in his final five MotoGP races before joining BMW in the World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) next year.
Brad Binder 13th in title race
Binder’s 2027 WorldSBK team-mate, Miguel Oliveira, won the race for KTM at Mandalika in 2022. Binder and the Portuguese rider were team-mates in KTM’s factory team in 2021 and 2022.
Binder is 13th in the MotoGP title race after 17 rounds. He will be keen to avoid matching his lowest finish in the premier class, having ended the 2020 season in 11th place.
All eyes will be on the battle for the championship lead between Jorge Martin, on 333 points, and Marc Marquez, on 331. The pair have opened up a significant gap over third-placed Marco Bezzecchi, who has 284 points.
Bezzecchi will fancy his chances of closing the gap in Indonesia. The Italian started from pole position last year but crashed out on the first lap of the main race.
Moodley in the mix
In Moto3, Ruché Moodley will be looking to build on his experience at Mandalika. The teenager finished 13th in Indonesia during his rookie season last year.
The MotoGP sprint race starts at 9am tomorrow (October 10) , with the main race scheduled for the same time on Sunday (October 11). The Moto3 race starts at 6am on Sunday.
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