This was to be expected, given that the Red Bull Ring is a very favorable track for KTM, being its home circuit, but Brad Binder’s weekend definitely lived up to all the best expectations. The South African was already in good spirits this weekend, with the announcement that he will remain as factory driver for the Mattighofen-based company until at least 2026, and the racing has confirmed his great momentum.
The #33 closed the tenth round of the 2023 season with a double podium, second in both Saturday’s Sprint race and Sunday’s long race, in the latter case after chasing Pecco Bagnaia again. Binder did everything to avoid the victory of the championship leader and was close to him for several laps, but in the end Bagnaia managed to escape. He just had to manage his tires to secure his third Sunday podium this season.
After the race, the Potchefstroom driver could not hide his smile and his happiness for a race in which, despite not winning, he found himself more at ease than on Saturday thanks to the work of his team of mechanics.
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“I gave it my all,” admitted Binder. “My team did a phenomenal job, honestly. We made a huge step from yesterday to today, I was much stronger in the braking points, but we used the rubber a lot when we opened the gas. We spinned a lot on the straight, but this is the Next step. We have to solve the problem and if we solve it I think we will have a chance to be stronger.”
Brad also took stock of the progress of the season. The South African is in great form and believes victory will come soon if things continue like this.
“If I look at the last three or four races, I’ve been fighting for the podium every weekend, which is crazy. The win is still eluding us, but we’re not far away. For me it’s super important to see how we’ve improved, what progress we’ve made and continue to work to find what we are missing,” concluded the 28-year-old.
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
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