“Hung out to dry” - Brad Binder “proper screwed” on opening lap of Aragon MotoGP
Brad Binder says two opening-lap incidents left him “proper screwed” before he fought back through the MotoGP field to tenth at Aragon.
While Pedro Acosta chased race winner Marc Marquez in Sunday’s Aragon MotoGP, KTM team-mate Brad Binder was mounting a recovery from the back of the field.
The South African, who qualified 14th, ran over the kerb after losing the rear on the opening lap, then was sent wide at the final corner.
“Well, I made my life difficult today!” Binder said. “In the first lap, the rear tyre wasn't really up [to temperature] when I braked into turn 11. I just locked the rear completely and went over that kerb.
“I lost two, three places, but not the end of the world. Then at the end of the back straight, someone went to pass me. And then someone went to pass the dude passing me. So I got proper screwed!
“I got hung out to dry, went off in the last corner - so two days in a row. The next lap around, I saw P20, so from there, I had a big job on my hands.”
Binder was back into the points by lap six, then reached the top ten with a penultimate-lap pass on Pramac Yamaha’s Jack Miller.
“Managed to come back up to tenth place, so I can't complain too much, but I've got some work to do,” said Binder.
He added: “Honestly, Silverstone and here have been a little bit better. Even though I completely made a meal of the first lap yesterday and today.
“Other than that, it wasn't that bad. The feeling with the front was super on the limit, but I think it’s the same for everybody here, and it doesn't help when you're trying to come through, and you don't get any fresh air for 21 laps.”
Binder, expected to move to WorldSBK with BMW next season, is 13th in the world championship, six points behind fellow KTM rider Enea Bastianini.
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.
