There are days when an intersection opens up for you and you have to choose the right path. Sometimes it takes luck, but also a lot of courage and, in today’s case of Brad Binder, a healthy dose of madness. Being left behind on slicks in a downpour is a balancing act, but if you can do it, you can win. The KTM South African proved it today …
“The last lap wasn’t about the race, it was about survival” he started his story and laughed the whole time because he too had to eliminate all risks from his head.
And to keep it short, his race hadn’t even started optimally. On the other hand.
“All I wanted last night was a podium today, because it was a long time since I had won – exactly a year since the win in Brno – it was a pity that I had a terrible race before the rain, the rear tire was broken” slipped everywhere when braking. When I saw the first drops, I realized that I had a chance to recover in the leading group.
Which worked perfectly, but then it really started raining.
“The other riders came back to the pits to change bikes and I made up my mind at the last minute when the whole group pitted – he explained – At this point there were 4 laps left, I had to try, it seemed like a good idea to stay on track and the first lap was good and the last two were different. On the last lap the brakes got cold and so did the tires, so I couldn’t even stop. I was really struggling to stay on the right track. But sometimes you have to take the risk and today was KTM’s home GP, it worked. “
That doesn’t mean it was a walk in the park …
“I just tried to do my best, at Turn 3 I found myself with the steering closed while I stepped on the rear brake pedal. From one moment to the next I expected someone to overtake me and, frankly, when I crossed the line it was a relief. ” he admitted.
Sometimes he went into the run-off areas and even took a 3-second penalty for it …
“It wasn’t that I wanted to go on the green, but either I drove a bit straight or I fell: I think I made the right decision – he was joking – In the end, I think I made the lap a little longer, but in every corner I was unbraked and the thing was sideways “.
This win has a special meaning for Binder, because after his first win last year the problems started and a comparison with Oliveira didn’t bring any improvement.
“The first win is always special, it came very quickly for me, but to get this second was a big challenge – he said. Seeing your partner get strong from a certain point of view makes things easier because they can teach you a lot.