Binder "sick" at thought of Qatar MotoGP top 10 being good result
KTM’s Brad Binder says the fact he thinks cracking the top 10 in the MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix will be a good result makes him “sick to my stomach”.
The South African will start the opening round of the 2021 season from 19th on the grid as KTM’s struggles at the Losail circuit continue.
KTM has been able to start the new year with a new engine, while the base of the bike is not too dissimilar to the RC16 which both Binder and team-mate Miguel Oliveira won three grands prix between them on last year.
With high winds expected for Sunday, Binder hopes the weather is the “worst we’ve ever seen” as he admits it’s KTM’s only hope of salvaging a strong result.
“I’m really hoping that tomorrow is the worst weather we’ve ever seen here,” he said.
“I believe the more difficult it is the better it’s going to be for us because it seems we’re in a position where we need to take advantage and the only way we can is by maybe taking a little bit more risk when things are difficult.
“So, tomorrow may the wind blow and hopefully I stay on the bike.”
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
When asked what a realistic target was, Binder added: “I think if we could crack the top 10 I think it would be amazing.
“And that actually makes me sick to my stomach to even think that a top 10 will be OK.
“But with the circumstances it wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
Binder feels like the bike is “doing everything we want it to”, but concedes the Qatar track is making it harder for KTM to find form quick enough.
When asked by Autosport if KTM could do too much to the bike in Qatar knowing the circuit is the main cause of its issues, he replied: “It’s challenging because I come in and tell my guys the bike’s working well, and it is.
“It’s working really well. Our bike is doing everything we want it to and it’s doing its good points well.
“It’s just for this track it’s taking too long to get the bike turned around.
“When you can’t brake hard it’s difficult for us to point the bike in the direction we need to go and that’s been our kryptonite so far.
“We understand what we need and we’re working to try and find something to help us, but so far we haven’t found what we need.
“But it’s tough to see us so far down the order, it’s a horrible sight, definitely not what we expected. But I still think we can work it out.”
Related video
Quartararo: “Story” of Yamaha being easy MotoGP bike “finished”
MotoGP Qatar Grand Prix – how to watch, start time, & more
2022 MotoGP title fight now “very tight”, says Aleix Espargaro
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro believes the current MotoGP championship picture following the British Grand Prix has set up “a very, very tight” title battle.
Pol Espargaro doesn’t think Honda is reacting to MotoGP woes
Pol Espargaro isn’t sure the problems Honda is facing at races in MotoGP this season are being relayed back to Japan as “we’re not getting the material we need”.
Marc Marquez to return to MotoGP paddock at Austrian GP for Honda progress update
Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP paddock at the Austrian Grand Prix to check up on Honda’s progress as he continues his own rehabilitation.
Rins “destroyed” after “not normal” grip issues end Silverstone MotoGP win hopes
Suzuki’s Alex Rins says he was “destroyed” after a “not normal” drop in grip shuffled him from the lead of the MotoGP British Grand Prix to seventh by the end.
The signs Quartararo’s 2022 MotoGP title is slipping away from him
Prior to the summer break, the 2022 MotoGP title looked like it was Fabio Quartararo’s to lose. But a crash at Assen and the consequential penalty he had to serve last weekend at Silverstone stopped him from capitalising on a main rival’s injury woes, while a resurgence from another, plus the rise of a former team-mate, look set to conspire against the Yamaha rider
Why Marquez’s toughest MotoGP foe is stopping at the right time
On the eve of the British Grand Prix, Andrea Dovizioso announced that he will be retiring from MotoGP after September’s San Marino GP. The timing of his departure raised eyebrows, but his reasoning remains sensible and what has happened this year should not diminish a hard-built legacy
Why a Suzuki refugee feels he deserves MotoGP's toughest challenge
Alex Rins’ MotoGP future was plunged into sudden doubt when Suzuki elected to quit the series at the end of 2022. Securing a deal with Honda to join LCR, he will now tread a path that many have fallen off from. But it was a move he felt his status deserved, and it’s a challenge – he tells Autosport - he faces with his eyes wide open…
How Formula 1 has driven MotoGP's changing nature
The hiring of technicians from Formula 1 has clearly contributed to a recent change in the MotoGP landscape, with the role of engineers gaining greater significance relative to the riders. Here's how this shift has come about
The revolution behind Aprilia's rise from MotoGP tail-ender to pack-leader
Coinciding with the arrival of Massimo Rivola as head of its MotoGP division, Aprilia has undergone an internal revolution that has spurred it from occupying last place in the team standings to leading the table in the space of just two years. Those entrenched in the project reveal how the ex-Ferrari F1 chief has achieved the dramatic turnaround
The battle Yamaha's wayward son is fighting to be fast again in MotoGP
Franco Morbidelli was long overdue a promotion to factory machinery when it finally came late last year, having finished runner-up in the 2020 standings on an old Yamaha package. But since then the Italian has been a shadow of his former self as he toils to adapt to the 2022 M1, and recognises that he needs to change his style to be quick on it
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special