Brad Binder’s “Sunday cruise” ends in “biggest drop ever” at Sachsenring MotoGP
Brad Binder thought his KTM had a fuel issue or flat tyre in the closing laps of the Sachsenring MotoGP.
Brad Binder's rear tyre wear was so severe during the closing laps of Sunday's German MotoGP that the Red Bull KTM rider initially thought he was running out of fuel or had suffered a puncture.
The worst part was that the South African thought he had been gentle on the tyre, describing his race as a “Sunday cruise” up until that point.
“I felt like I was being so kind to my rear tyre and thought I'd have something at the end,” Binder said.
“There were two laps to go… First, I thought that I was running out of fuel. Then I thought maybe the tyre was going flat. Then I realised it was just buggered!
“It was the biggest drop I've ever had.”
He added: “That's the worst part, I wasn't fighting [with anyone] at all.
“I was riding on a Sunday cruise, and I still smoked the rear tyre.
“I went to go up the hill from Turn 8 to 9 and my bike just wasn't putting power.
“It was just a really big drop on the edge. The edge wear was just crazy.”
Although Binder lost a place to Tech3’s Enea Bastianini, he remained in tenth place by passing Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller, struggling with major tyre wear issues of his own.
“Tenth place, I can't believe it,” he said.
“I honestly thought I was going forward at halfway, and then it just kind of stopped."
Binder admitted rear tyre wear has been a recurring issue throughout his MotoGP career.
“I know from all the years I'm hard on the rear tyre. I've always got the highest wear on the rear. If not the highest, close to," he said.
“It's a battle that I've been winning for years that I don't want to.
"When Bastianini came past, I could see he had a lot more rubber.”
Team-mate Pedro Acosta was the top KTM rider, in fourth.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
