Brad Binder ‘really sorry for team’ after Assen demotion

South Africa’s Brad Binder said he felt sorry for his KTM team after he was demoted to fourth place in Sunday’s Dutch MotoGP race at Assen.

Binder finished third behind winner Francesco Bagnaia with pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi second.

Exceeding track limits

Binder, who finished third after a stunning ride, was penalised a place after the race for exceeding track limits. This promoted Aleix Espargaro to the podium.

Binder suffered the same fate in Saturday’s sprint race.

“To be honest, I can deal with this situation, but I feel really sorry for my entire team,” Binder told the KTM website after the race.

“They did an incredible job all weekend and they gave me a bike that I could qualify really well with.
“My start was insane and somehow we made the soft tyre work until the end. We should have had two podiums.

“I don’t know what I was doing but I didn’t even realise I’d touched that area again.

“Sorry to the team and I will look at the positives of being strong all weekend and in Silverstone we’ll go again.”

With the 13 championship points earned, Binder, who started fifth on the grid, remains very much in the title hunt in fourth in the standings.

Binder’s KTM team-mate Jack Miller crashed out of the 26-lap race on the second lap.

‘Great race from Brad’

KTM team manager Francesco Guidotti also looked at the positives.

“A great race today from Brad. He did an incredible job … leading and always in the top three.

“He managed the lap times and the rear tyre and unfortunately he touched the green on the last lap. It’s painful to lose the podium again. We paid the same bill at the same corner (on Saturday during the sprint race). It’s something we have to learn for next year.

“Overall it was a positive weekend because of our competitiveness.”

The MotoGP season now breaks for the rest of the month and July. The British Grand Prix at Silverstone at the beginning of August is the next race.

“The first part of the season is done,” said Guidotti. “The balance is positive with the riders, the bikes and the team. Everything is under control and now we’re looking forward to Silverstone with confidence.”