Brad Binder is excited to race in the inaugural India MotoGP. Picture: Getty Images
Brad Binder is counting on the scorching heat to be Red Bull KTM’s biggest ally at this weekend’s inaugural Indian MotoGP.
The setting for the Grand Prix is the Buddh International Circuit in Dankaur, situated 50 km southeast of New Delhi. The weather forecast for Saturday is 32 degrees, with a whopping 34 degrees predicted for Sunday.
“I’ll be watching the weather with keen interest as it looks like it’s gonna be hot. It’s exciting because our bike has been good in the heat,” Binder said during this week’s official MotoGP pre-race press conference.
Binder added that he looks forward racing at the untested 5km layout. Inaugurated in 2011, the track has 13 corners and boasts a 1 006m straight, one of the longest in MotoGP.
It hosted three Formula 1 Grands Prix from 2001 to 2013, while the 2013 World Superbike Championship scheduled to be held there was cancelled due to operational changes to the circuit.
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“The track looks cool and racing on it should be fun. It is always exciting to try something,” Binder said.
“We’ve been given extra time to try and figure thing out and I think we should be in for a good weekend.
“The people are very passionate about our sport. They have amazing knowledge about all the riders and their bikes.”
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Asked by local media if he can beat his MotoGP speed record of 366.1 km/h, set in June at Mugello, on the long straight, the KTM man was cautious to make any predictions.
“It goes downhill, so there might be a chance. But an incline at the end could kill off,” said Binder.
“But making sure you brake sufficiently before taking the corner is always more important than straight line speed.”
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The South African star is still fourth in the title race on 173 points. With Francesco Bagnaia (283) and Jorge Martin (247) out of touching distance, he will fancy his chances of reeling in third-placed Marco Bezzecchi (218) in the last eight remaining rounds.
Binder confirmed that KTM is not ready to use the carbon chassis on the RC16 bike that was used during official testing after the San Marino MotoGP. He set the third fastest time at the one-day event at Misano.
The Austrian outfit is pulling out all the stops to capture the elusive MotoGP rider’s title. There has even been rumours that six-time premier class champion Marc Marques could join them in 2025.
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“It is a bit tricky to say when we will use it, but we are in a bit of a hurry to try is before next season,” Binder said.
“Most importantly, our biggest complaints have been touched during the testing.”
Both Saturday’s sprint race and Sunday’s main races are scheduled to start at 12pm.
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