After a near-perfect Friday from Brad Binder, the KTM rider was unable to replicate the top position in practice, yet he made a good 5th place in Q2 for the start of the Sprint race and Sunday’s long race.
In a debrief after the Sprint, Binder was satisfied with his race – finishing in 2nd place – and with his KTM, saying that Jorge Martín had something more to give:
– Yes, today was a good day. I think we had a very solid 12 laps. For sure the pace was very fast, I didn’t expect to be this fast. But I was able to hold on for the first four laps, then I had a first (performance) drop and I had some difficulties and I lost it. I think he had some more than me today, but I tried my best to go with him. This was the first serious race we did with the new frame, so we certainly learned a lot and for me it’s clear what I have to work on for tomorrow, so I’m excited to put in a few hours of work tonight, try to understand and earn that extra on every lap tomorrow.
The South African driver also said that the laps behind Jorge Martín allowed him to understand where the Spanish driver can make a difference, leaving Binder alert about the areas where he must improve his riding and the RC16:
– He’s very good at making the bike bend and then lifting. So that’s one of the things I have to improve.