Brad Binder hopeful KTM can gain some ground during testing

Brad Binder remains confident his Red Bull KTM team is on the right track after yet another heroic ride at the San Marino MotoGP on Sunday.

After starting the race from 15th on the grid, BInder made up seven places to finish eighth. He remains in seventh place in the world championship standings on 115 points, seven behind his 2023 KTM teammate Jack Miller.

Miller’s current Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia took the chequered flag for the fourth consecutive time on Sunday. The Italian moved up to 181 points to close the gap on 2022 MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo (211) to 30 points.

“We did our best and eighth was all we could do today,” Binder told his team’s website.

“I gave my best from beginning to end and it was a dramatic first few laps. On the second or the third one I was stuck behind someone else who crashed and I was so lucky I didn’t go down. I was able to carry on and push as hard as I could.”

The 2016 Moto3 world champion is confident his Austrian team will gain some strides during this week’s two testing at Misano on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We tried a lot of different things and we got some great information. Hopefully, that will also lead to some positive steps this week as well,” added BInder.

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Red Bull KTM team boss Francesco Guidotti was chuffed with the seven-second gain his team made over race distance since last year’s San Marino race, but admitted they still have lots to do to challenge for the podium.

“We have made a little step but it is not quite enough,” Guidotti said.

“Improvement is coming and this is important. We will have two days of testing now, with the test team also with some new material, and in testing conditions instead of race conditions.”

Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn Binder narrowly lost out on earning a point by finishing in 16th place. It was the Yamaha rider’s best result in five races. He is in 22nd place in the rider standings op 10 points.

The next MotoGP race is in Aragon on 14 Spetember.

To see the 2022 MotoGP riders’ standings, click here.