Brad Binder Forced to Retire Due to Electrical Issue at MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas

Brad Binder’s MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas ended prematurely on Sunday when an electrical issue forced him to retire after completing just 12 laps. It was a tough break for the South African, who had shown promise during the race and was on track for his best finish of the season. The race, held at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, started with hope for Binder. He made an impressive start, working his way up to 5th position, but his bike let him down when he was preparing to push for a top finish.

“I had a chaotic start, but once we got going, I made a good move and started feeling solid,” Binder said.

“I worked my way up to 5th, carefully navigating the wet patches, and just as I was ready to push, a small technical issue shut everything down.”

Binder’s teammate, Pedro Acosta, faced similar frustrations. After suffering “rear vibrations” during Saturday’s Sprint, he too retired from the main race after just 10 laps due to technical difficulties.

Despite Binder’s struggles, there were silver linings. In his post-race reflections, he mentioned that the bike felt much more in tune with his preferences after some important setup changes. He had been on track for a solid Top 5 finish before his bike failure. Ducati Lenovo’s Pecco Bagnaia clinched the victory at COTA, with his teammate Marc Márquez crashing out of the lead under wet conditions. The unpredictable weather made the race a slippery challenge for many riders, including Binder. French racer Fabio Quartararo also suffered an early crash but managed to recover and finish.

Binder and KTM took a risk by opting for slick tyres in the wet conditions, but Binder’s skill on the RC16 allowed him to push through and fight for a strong position before his bike failure. Despite missing out on points in both the Sprint and the main race, Binder remains 11th in the championship standings with 19 points, just three ahead of teammate Acosta. The team’s performance, however, has not gone unnoticed. KTM’s team manager, Aki Ajo, acknowledged the progress made, despite the disappointing results. He emphasized that the team was heading in the right direction and looked forward to improvements in future races.

“Brad’s feedback from the bike was much more positive after the setting changes, and we’re heading in the right direction,” Ajo said. “We should have made the Top 5 with him, and we’re optimistic for the upcoming races.”

Meanwhile, the battle at the top of the championship continues. The Márquez brothers, Marc and Álex, remain close in points, with Álex’s second-place finish in Austin putting him ahead of Marc by a single point in the standings.

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Sourced:IOL