The South African Brad Binder celebrates his victory at the MotoGP of Austria on Sunday.
South African Brad Binder took his KTM team a sensational home win in the Austrian MotoGP after a late, insane risk of staying on slick tires on wet and slippery roads paid off on Sunday.
When it rained and the top 5 pulled into the pits at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg to switch to wet tires, the sixth-placed Binder stayed outside and held out three wild laps in the downpour.
“Sometimes life favors the brave and today it worked,” said the 26-year-old.
“I think someone stopped me today because a couple of times I thought it was over.”
Red Bull KTM works racing driver Brad Binder.
Ducati Italian factory rider Francesco Bagnaia, who had led most of the race and was one of the front runners in the pits, sped back through the field and finished in second place but was 9.991 seconds back. The Spanish rookie pole sitter Jorge Martin, winner on the Pramac Ducati the previous weekend on the same track, finished third in front of 86,000 spectators.
French Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo finished seventh but is now leading his closest rivals Bagnaia and Suzuki’s reigning world champion Joan Mir, fourth yesterday, with 47 points.
Binder received a three-second penalty for crossing the lane on the final corner while trying to keep the sliding bike on the line, but it ultimately was meaningless as the gap was large enough.
The win was the second of his career, after another shocking success in Brno, Czech Republic a year ago in his rookie season. “That was really scary,” he said. “The last two laps were different.
“Of course Brad did something incredible today because staying on the track with slick tires in these conditions is so difficult.”
Ducati’s Italian factory rider Francesco Bagnaia.
“I was able to push pretty hard on the first lap, but as soon as the rear and front tires had cooled down, it was like driving on ice. A few turns later my carbon brakes got cold, so I didn’t have any brakes either. I think someone stopped me today because a couple of times I thought it was over. “
Binder said he was ready to dive inside the leaders on the penultimate corner when he sensed they were about to enter the pit lane. When he saw that they were doing this, his mind was made up and he went straight on. “I knew it was three or four rounds and I said, ‘OK, if I can stay up, the only people who can beat me are people who stayed out too. I almost didn’t stay awake, but still … “
Bagnaia, who overtook six drivers on the final lap but ran out of time to take the lead back, was impressed by his rival’s bravery.
“Of course Brad did something incredible today because staying on the track with slick tires in these conditions is so difficult,” he said.