As Brad Binder prepares to return to Indonesia for this weekend’s MotoGP race at Mandalika, he is hopeful for a smoother Sunday than he experienced last year. The Red Bull KTM rider faced a tumultuous race in 2023, which included two long-lap penalties that significantly impacted his performance. Despite finishing sixth, Binder recalls the chaos of that day vividly.
“Last year was quite chaotic for me,” Binder remarked on Thursday. “I received two long-lap penalties. The first one was due to losing my brakes, which led to wiping out Marini. Then, in the second instance, I ran over Miguel’s foot. That was definitely 100% my fault!”
Reflecting on his pace from that race, Binder believes that without those penalties, he could have contended for a podium-finish. “Looking back at our pace, we had the potential to fight for at least a podium. I’m going to give it another go this year and hope we can compete at the front.”
In the previous weekend’s Misano Sprint, both Binder and teammate Pedro Acosta showcased their skills by securing positions on the second row of the grid. However, their fortunes took a downturn in the Sunday race when both riders crashed out. Binder noted that this was indicative of challenges they face in trying to compensate for a slight deficit in speed.
“We need that extra bit of performance, and when you’re striving to keep up with the leaders—especially when you haven’t had the pace all weekend—it’s easy to push beyond your limits,” he explained. “We’ve definitely crashed more this year than last, and it’s something we need to address.”
Binder highlighted that the KTM RC16 requires an overall performance enhancement rather than pinpointing specific strengths or weaknesses. “Our braking isn’t quite where it needs to be, and we don’t carry the same corner speed as others. Our turning capabilities aren’t fantastic, and we tend to spin a lot on the throttle,” he elaborated.
He added, “In previous seasons, we could maintain mid-corner speed and then effectively throw the bike into turns. However, the competition has improved in that area, and we need to adapt and find a new strong point.”
As the series heads into the flyaway rounds, Binder currently holds an eight-point advantage over his future teammate Acosta in the standings, vying for fifth place in the world championship and the title of best non-Ducati rider. With a fresh outlook and determination, Binder is ready to tackle challenges ahead and improve on last-year’s experience in Indonesia.
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