KTM bike was always ‘capable of this, just needed to work on myself’

Brad Binder’s fantastic Austrian MotoGP win was one he felt ‘capable of’ achieving after Miguel Oliveira demonstrated it’s victory potential earlier this year; 'the only thing I needed to work on was myself'.
Brad Binder, MotoGP race, Austrian MotoGP 15 August 2021
Brad Binder, MotoGP race, Austrian MotoGP 15 August 2021
© Gold and Goose

It’s fair to say, Brad Binder’s Austrian MotoGP win is still yet to fully sink in following the most dramatic final few laps in recent memory. 

The KTM rider started the final lap with a ten second gap to Aleix Espargaro, however, Binder was unsure who the rider was and whether they were on wet or dry tyres. 

As we saw with the group behind who eventually got engulfed by riders on wet tyres with three corners remaining, it could have been a similar fate for the South African had he not extended his lead on laps 23 and 24 - just before the track became soaked. 

Binder had a gap of 31 seconds to Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin who were on their first lap out of the pits, as they struggled to get heat and subsequent grip from the wet tyres. 

Once the final lap came around, Binder was expecting someone to come ‘flying past and said’: "I came across the line and saw plus nine on my board. 

"I knew it was ten seconds more or less, but was it someone on slicks or wets? If it was someone on wets they would have caught me, someone on slicks then maybe not. 

"I just tried my absolute best. I just tried to make sure that I stopped, got around the corner and went flat out up the straight [laughs]. 

"Just to stay on track in the last lap was virtually impossible. I thought it was finished a couple of times because in turn three I wasn’t stopping. The only thing that was working a little bit was my rear brake. 

"So I was pushing my rear brake and the thing was sideways. I touched the steering lock and went straight a little bit, but I managed to stop and stay on track. 

"After that in the long right-handers you just don’t go forward. You’re just staying in the same spot. 

"I was waiting for someone to come flying past me, but the feeling when I saw the flag was a feeling of relief that it was over. On the other end I couldn’t believe we had won." 

It’s a win that the former Moto3 champion was always confident of getting after seeing team-mate Miguel Oliveira show the RC16’ potential earlier in the year with victory in Barcelona.

Binder added: "The really positive thing about the last few races is that for me I could see the bike was capable of this and the only thing I needed to work on was myself.

"It makes things a lot more simple when you can see someone else doing it and you just have to work harder and make sure that you can do it too. 

"It’s always great to have a team-mate that’s super fast and it keeps you on your toes. In the end I think it makes me a better rider for sure." 

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