MotoGP Malaysia: Brad Binder: “We had a hell of a lot of issues in testing, now completely different”
KTM were openly disappointed by the February test, but soon transf💦ormed their fortunes to be contenders from the Por𝔍timao season opener.
Although Binder has dropped out of mathematical tit꧂le contention with three rounds remaining, he is currently on course to secure KTM’s best MotoGP rider ranking in the final championship classification.
“It's going to be interesting for me because when we were testing here, we had a hell of a lot of issues and the guys have done a great job working on our bike throughout the season,”🅷 Binder said.
“Things are completely different now. So it will be awesome to see how big ღthe step𒆙 is that we made.
“The biggest thing when we w𝄹ere here in February was we were still trying to figure out what direction we needed to go in. I don't think I did more than two exits with the same bike! 𓆏Just playing with all sorts of different parameters.
“So the biggest thing that I'm looking forward to is just r✅iding this track, comfortably. That should be fun.
“The plan is to pick up where we left off last weekend, try to stay amongst that top buncꦜh and fight it out until the last lap again, but hopefully get it right! That would be nice,𓆉” added Binder.
Binder finisheꦍd just 0.114s from victory at Buriram, although he was later demoted from second to t🌱hird for exceeding track limits on the final lap.
Despite his fourth p♉lace in the world championship and two Sprint wins, the 28-year-old is in danger of suffering his second winless campaign in a row with just three more chances to take a 2023 GP victory.
“If I look back at my last two races, I felt like Australia I messed up. And🍰 then last weekend, I really wanted to give it a go, but put myself on th🍒e green! So I haven't really been able to put it together,” he said.
“I feel like we've been fast at most of the last tracks, especially the last 5-6. I'd love nothing more than to finally get a win for my team because I feel like they really deserve it. We have won two Sprint races, but to get the main race﷽ i✃s the goal.”
KTM isജ also fi💜ghting to hold onto a new high of second in the constructors' championship, behind Ducati.
Binder’s ninth MotoGP podium, in Thailand, made him the most successful South African in the premier class, ahead of Paddy Driver, who claimed eight in thꦛe 1960s.
“It's a really cool st🔥at. It’s🌱 quite different nowadays, we have twenty races a year. Back then, I think they had less than half. So not quite fair,” Binder said.
“But anyway I think it's super cool. For me, it's great to really see how MotoGP is growing back in South Africa. Every time I go home,💜 I see more and more people 𒊎seem to enjoy the racing just as much as I do.
“I think the better 𝕴things go here, the better it can be for racing back home too.”
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s inj🍸ury issues.
