Brad Binder: Ducati “have nothing on us with new tyre”
The factory KTM rider, who was rewarded for his brilliant 2023 campaign thus far with a new MotoGP deal that takes him until the end of 2026, was every bit the match for Francesco Bagnaia during the early stages of both the sprint and Grand Prix in Austria.
However, after a few laps the South African began to slowly drop back as Bagnaia was able to hold his pace more consistently.
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Bagnaia’s plan was clear, which was to hold onto the lead and avoid tyre pressure problems, while Binder had to settle for second as the world champion made sure he kept the lead after improving his race starts.
"For sure, they have made a small step with their launch," said Binder. "The launch is one thing, but when they pick up the bike and start shifting through the gears they are somehow making more grip than us.
"When we have the brand new tyre I feel like they have nothing on us. But the second we lose that tiny bit of grip I start to spin when I’m shifting.
"I keep losing a tenth or two in the hard accelerations."
While the Austrian MotoGP was one of Binder’s strongest of the season, the 28-year-old admitted he had hopes of winning in front of his manufacturer’s home crowd.
Binder stated: "I came here with the intention to win. There would have been nothing nicer than to win the home Grand Prix for all of us.
"But two second’s and a front row; I’ll take it any day. I felt good! I can’t tell you how good a job my team has done.
"They’ve been working past 10 o’clock every night to find the last little bit that we possibly could. I need to say a massive congrats to them.
"Congratulations to Pecco, he did a great job. He didn’t put a foot wrong. I tried my best to go with him but there was no chance. He just had that little bit extra."
