The win was Brad Binder’s second in 24 MotoGP races since he finished second behind Alex Marquez in the Moto2 Championship in 2019
Brad Binder took a surprising win at the Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix when he stayed on slicks after a late downpour forced most of the grid to pit.
The 26-year-old South African started from 10th place on the grid, but took advantage when the rain on the Red Bull Ring got heavier.
The leaders switched to rain tires, giving Binder the lead, and the KTM rider snuck to his first win in 2021 on the final lap.
Francesco Bagnaia finished second, Ducati team-mate Jorge Martin came third.
Spanish rookie Martin who took his first win on the same track last week, Pole position in front of Bagnaia, table leader Fabio Quartararo and the then champion Marc Marquez took the lead.
Everyone crossed the finish line on lap 25 of 28 and while Binder held onto his second MotoGP win out of 24 races, Bagnaia and Martin fought their way through the field to complete the podium.
Yamaha’s Quartararo started second and although he had to settle for seventh place, the Frenchman remains clearly in the championship after 11 of this year’s 18 races, with Bagnaia now finishing second with defending champion Joan Mir.
Six-time champion Marquez crashed on the penultimate lap before returning to 15th place.
Grand Prix of Austria
1 Brad Binder (RSA / KTM) 40 min. 46.928 sec.
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ita / Ducati) +9,991
3 Jorge Martin (Spa / Ducati) +11,570
4 Joan Mir (Spa / Suzuki) +12,623
5 Luca Marini (Ita / Ducati) +14,831
6 Iker Lecuona (Spa / KTM) +14,952
7 Fabio Quartararo (Fra / Yamaha) +16,650
8 Valentino Rossi (Ita / Yamaha) +17,150
9 Alex Marquez (Spa / Honda) +17,692
10 Aleix Espargaro (Spa / Aprilia) +18.270
World Cup ranking
1 Fabio Quartararo (Fra / Yamaha) 181 points
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ita / Ducati) 134
3 Joan Mir (Spa / Suzuki) 134
4 Johann Zarco (Fra / Ducati) 132
5 Jack Miller (Aus / Ducati) 105