Brad Binder: “It’s so clear to me what we need to work on a tiny bit”
Brad Binder says edge grip improvements will go a long way to beating Ducati.
Brad Binder was the closest challenger to Jorge Martin during the Qatar MotoGP sprint, finishing second behind last season’s runner-up.
The factory KTM rider never managed to pass Martin, although he did come close to doing so at turn one when beginning lap two.
Binder tried to out-brake Martin before nearly running into the rear of the Ducati rider.
Speaking after his impressive podium result, Binder said: “It was great. Awesome to be on the podium. I had an amazing start and got past a few guys early on.
“I tried to get Jorge at the end of the first lap but I wasn’t sure where the last moment to brake was because we were using the softs the whole morning.
“These were really the first few laps at night in the dry since the test. It took me a couple of laps to find my feet but I’m happy to see where we have improved and the steps we have made.
“It’s so clear to me where we need to work on to be a tiny bit stronger.”
Although Binder stayed within a second of Martin throughout the race, a lack of edge grip is why Binder struggled to make an overtake.
And the South African believes they can go a long way to fighting Ducati if they find more performance in that area.
Asked what they need to work on, Binder added: “Edge grip. We are missing that compared to them and if we can find that it can go a long way.
Either way I think we are in for a good race. “The bike is working well, I feel good and the bike is working well and was working really consistently throughout the entire sprint.
“Of course, we gave it a really big push in the first five laps and the pace was really hot. I’m confident that tomorrow is going to be a good one.
“I saw where our strong points are. The steps forward we have made in braking and entry are huge.
“I’m super happy to see that but somehow we need to hook up better when I touch the throttle. Let’s see if we can find something to catch up.”
