Stick to slicks – risk pays off as Binder wins Austrian MotoGP

South African Brad Binder (KTM) won the Austrian MotoGP on Sunday after gambling not to change bikes when heavy rain began to fall in the closing laps. 

Unlike his rivals who pitted to change bikes, Binder opted to stay out on slick tyres and skillfully held off the field to win his second ever MotoGP.

The Italian Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) finished second, nearly 10secs behind with the Spaniard Jorge Martin (Ducati-Pramac) completing the podium. 

Frenchman Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) could only finish seventh but that did not prevent him from increasing his lead in the world championship from 40 to 47 points. 

He benefitted from the fall of his compatriot Johann Zarco (Ducati-Pramac), who was running second at the time.

Zarco slipped to fourth in the standing, two points behind Bagnaia and the Spaniard Joan Mir (Suzuki) who finished fourth, ahead of the Italian Luca Marini (Ducati-Avintia) and the Spaniard Iker Lecuona (KTM-Tech3), who did not change bikes either. 

Veteran Valentino Rossi, who is retiring at the end of the season, guided his  Yamaha-SRT to eighth while six-time world champion Marc Marquez (Honda) came off his bike on the penultimate lap and had to settle for 15th.

The next round will take place at the Silverstone circuit in Great Britain on August 29.