- Brad Binder capped off a bittersweet qualifying day at the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday with a fourth-place finish in the Sprint race.
- Binder looked set for victory in the Sprint, but the soaked Circuit de Jerez saw him lose the chance, as Marc Marquez claimed the win ahead of Francesco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli in second and third.
- Binder will start 13th on the grid for Sunday’s main race, scheduled for 3pm EAT.
Brad Binder endured a bittersweet end to qualifying day at the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday, as the South African mastered a soaking Circuit de Jerez to secure fourth place in the Sprint race.
Binder launched this fourth round of the season aiming to bounce back from the Brazil and USA disappointments.
On Friday, he had tried to force his way into Q2 and worked on refining his setup for the faster corners of the Jerez layout. However, the pace did not come together for him, and he ended the Q1 session in 13th on the grid.
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The South African star was gunning for a win in the sprint to shake off the pressure that has been weighing on his shoulders, as he tries to make this season look good for himself at KTM. But just as other riders met their fate, he also met his.
When it all shook out, the 30 year old was leading those on wet-weather machinery with four laps left to run.
The 2023 Spain sprint winner was the effective leader of the race on a drenched track, followed by Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.
Meanwhile, Alex Marquez’s decision to push on for another lap on slicks cost him dearly, as he crashed at Turn 8.
Most of the pack had done the same and were reduced to walking pace. Even that was too fast for many, with Binder’s teammate Pedro Acosta among several who tumbled out.
Binder was set for victory as the leading bike on the correct tyres, but threw that shot away even before he got the chance to cruise past Aldeguer, falling with only two laps remaining. That ultimately turned it into an all-Ducati battle for the lead, with Bagnaia out front.
Marquez made short work of his teammate, however, imperiously sweeping past him later in the lap, the action coming thick and fast.
Binder managed to pick up his bike and continue, but not before the VR46 duo of Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio had slipped past. The South African did grab fourth place back from Di Giannantonio on the final lap, though.
“Happy and heartbroken at the same time. I felt like I timed my pit entry well, but from one lap to the next there was so much water. When I braked in the same place, I was like: ‘Oh s**t.’ Lost the front, slid off, picked it up, and carried on. To bail and still finish 4th is pretty good, so happy about that. A bit unfortunate because I would have loved to win again. Another day,” a gutted Binder stated after the race.
Binder pocketed eight points in the fourth finish at the Sprint, marking his best result in MotoGP so far.
He kicked off the campaign brilliantly with seventh on the grid in Thailand, then had a DNF in Brazil, followed by 15th in USA. Now he adds six points to his tally, going from 17 to 23.
On Sunday from 3:00 PM EAT, he WIll start from 13th place, hoping for a stronger showing.