Zarco: First Binder bump unlocked fork! | Binder: Last lap clash “almost a zero"

The initial contact, through the opening turns, occurred while fourth-on-the-grid Zarco was struggling due to his front holeshot system failing to unlock under braking for turn one.

The impact from Binder was hard enough to release the fork, but also saw Zarco pushed wide and down to eighth by the end of the opening lap.

“I've been very unlucky,” said Zarco. “My front device for the start remained blocked, so I did the three first corners with the bike down in the front. Really unlucky that maybe fork was too hard to unlock because I did a strong brake in the first corner.

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“So instead of taking the benefit of the fourth position and good start, I could get out in third position, I was slow in turns two and three and have lost positions. Plus with Brad, we had a good contact together.

“Because of this contact, I lost drive. But the fork unlocked with the contact, so just to say that it was strong.”

Binder explained: “I saw him lose the front in turn 3, so I had the idea that he went out, but he clearly stayed a lot tighter than I thought.”

Zarco: We can say 1-1!

The pair traded paint again on the final lap when Zarco lunged inside the KTM for fifth place at the scary Waterfall corner.

“My pace was good for the podium today but to overtake Brad was difficult because my strong place, turn 11, was also a good place for him. I did it on the last lap. We had a little contact,” Zarco said.

“I was just next to him, but enough that he could see me and the good thing with Brad is that he's not stupid to lay down on the guy [passing].

"He knows that it's a fast place. So he tried to stay next to me, but for sure we had this little contact and he was controlling pretty well the bike. So with what happened on the turn three, at the start, we can say 1-1!

“It was a bit tricky, so happy that I could do it pretty well, nicely. And then Marini was struggling with the rear tyre and I was thinking maybe I can get him on the last two corners, but he closed the door pretty well.

“With all that happened and these unlucky things in the first corners, I'll take the positive of the fifth position and a race with lots of overtakes.”

The last lap incident with Binder was initially put under investigation by the FIM Stewards, who decided no action needed to be taken.

“I was worried and thinking if they give me a penalty it would have been a big shame. So I’m happy that I didn't get the penalty,” Zarco said.

Brad Binder: F**k that corner is fast!

Binder felt the last lap move was ‘a bit on the limit’ but conceded he had lost drive after an attempted pass on Luca Marini for fourth.

“Turn 11 on the last lap was a bit hectic. I mean, it can happen - but f**k that corner is fast!” smiled the South African.

“I sat it up [after the contact] and even just sitting up and going onto the dirty part of the track the front washed. It just stayed with a few degrees too many until I got to the green so, phew, I'm really happy to have got points because that was almost a zero.

“I think it was a bit on the limit for sure, but at the end of the day, I had tried to pass Luca into Turn 9. So I went wide on the exit, cut back, had no drive. So that's what gave him the opportunity to say ‘maybe I can go here’.”