Brad Binder has been tipped fo꧟r fight the Ducatis for the MotoGP chaꦇmpionship, despite his KTM lagging behind in one particular area.

Binder - fourth🙈 in last 🐷year’s championship - finished the Qatar MotoGP second, the only non-Ducati rider in the top seven.

His KTM h𝐆as a major advantage over the Ducati but also suffers with a key weakness.

Asked if KTM could propel Binder into a title challenge, Michael Laverty🅠 𓂃said on TNT Sports: “Yes, 100%.

“For the KTM to blow past the Ducati on the straight here? Tꦅha𓄧t’s an advantage.

“I⛄t does seem like they’re getting off the corners better than they did🍒 last year. They are turning well.

“We couldn’t see where they were losing time bu༺t Brad ✱will know what he’s missing.

“Whether it’s grip or turni🦹ng? My money is on acceleration.

“The first bit off the corner, that’s where Ducati do so well. With a really long bike which lowers so well with their lowering device, and a torque management system which is docile down low. It doesn’t make sense ♏but it punches with the usable aero from the Ducati.

“KTM have made inroads on that, over the winte🐟r, but there’s a little way to go yet.”

Binder finished second in both the sprint and the gran💯d prix at the first round of 2024.

He edged Pramac’s Jorge Martin in their battle to finish behind Frances♐co Bagnaia in the main race.

“Two☂ second places to start 🅺the season is fantastic,” Binder reacted.

“I’m much happier with the second plaﷺce of today compared to the second plꦺace of yesterday.

“Yesterday♏ ꦓI felt we were missing something but today it was much better. I knew today was going to be a super difficult race because we are super hard on the rear tyre sometimes.

“I needed to get it to the end so I ꦇwas as clean as I could be. It was hard to stay composed b♍ecause I could see Pecco was just there.

“It was like a carrot dangling and you just want to go for it. But I knew that if𝓡 I attempted to push I might catch up a bit but I🦩 would lose a couple of seconds in the last few laps.

“I had to be really clever. It was awesome battling Jorge and I had a lot of fun. Let’s see if we can improve a bitꦺ because it would be awesome to give these boys a fight next time around.”