MotoGP | Binder: “If we want to win we need a little more grip”

The Ducatis had good and bad weather in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix, with no fewer than six Desmosedici GPs in the top seven positions. There was therefore only one intruder at the top, but he sold his life dearly, bowing only to a sparkling Pecco Bagnaia. But it's not surprising, given that many in the paddock think that Brad Binder is a real “curd”.

“Maybe I have two personalities, one in private life and one on the track, but certainly when I'm on the bike I always try to give my all. Sooner or later we'll get everything right”, joked the South African to Sky Sport MotoGP after leading his KTM in second place at the finish line in Lusail, repeating yesterday's result in the Sprint.

The South African was the only real obstacle between the world champion and victory, because he managed to stay under one second behind for almost the entire race, keeping himself in a position to take advantage of a possible mistake by Pecco. At the distance he had to decide whether to settle or try, but risked running out of tires and compromising everything.

“I think that second place is an excellent result for KTM, as is that of Sprint. Yesterday we saw that tire degradation was significant, so we had to manage it from the first lap and it was a very long race. I could see Pecco there in front and I would have liked to try to catch him, but I knew that if I pushed I wouldn't get to the end. The start is good, now we have to continue fighting like this”, explained Binder.

Despite the great debut of rookie Pedro Acosta, who battled for over half the race for the top 5, the feeling is that Binder is a bit isolated at the moment in the middle of the Ducati army, so he was asked if he would be comfortable having a companion capable of annoying him. However, Brad pointed the finger at other aspects.

“It's no secret that we wear out the tire a little more than our rivals. Let's say it wouldn't change my life if there was another rider as fast as me. If we want to win we need a little more grip to make the tire last back to the end. This is what we need and this is what we are looking for. When we succeed, we will take an important step, so I hope it happens as soon as possible”, he concluded.