LISTEN: Brad does us proud in Austria, wins second-ever MotoGP race
Krugersdorp's Brad Binder won the second race of his career in spectacular fashion in front of 86 000 spectators in Austria over the weekend.
Krugersdorp’s Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Brad Binder won the Austria MotoGP in spectacular fashion in front of 86 000 spectators this past weekend.
Unlike his rivals who opted to change tyres, Binder decided to stay out on slicks and held off the field to win his second ever MotoGP race.
“It was a tough race to the finish. I took a big gamble by not changing tyres as the rain made it difficult to manoeuvre through the slippery tracks. With four laps to go, I could see the other racers come in, so I had to try to finish, which proved fruitful with the win,” explained Binder.
The win was the second of his career; the first being his success at Brno in the Czech Republic a year ago in his rookie season.
“I am so incredibly happy to have walked away with the win today; the beginning of the race was super hard for us. I unfortunately got the worst tyre since I have been here, so I was struggling a lot in all the braking and the throttle. When I saw the rain starting, I took my opportunity and I fought as hard as I could and closed in front of the front group, which was great,” said Binder.
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The first two laps were easier than the last one for Binder as he struggled to stay on track, but skilfully pushed to the finish line.
“When I saw the guys pull up into the pit, I decided to take the gamble and try to push it out to the end. It was incredibly sketchy to try and get the bike home as the carbon brakes lose temperature, which feels like you don’t have brakes anymore. I lost my brakes with two laps to go; it went cold which meant there was no grip at all. I am super happy to come home with the win, especially here in Austria which is Red Bull and KTM’s home ground Grand Prix – it is the closest thing that I have to home ground Grand Prix, so hats off to the team,” concluded Binder.
A week before, Binder again impressed as he powered from 16th on the grid to seize fourth, and equal his best classification of the season at the Styrian MotoGP™.
