Brad Binder turns his poor run of form around with solid ninth place
Weekend to forget for Darryn Binder and Ruché Moodley at Italian MotoGP.
Brad Binder is happy to get his MotoGP campaign up and running again. Picture: Red Bull KTM
Brad Binder hopes his solid ninth place in the Italian MotoGP is just the start of better things to come.
The Red Bull KTM rider was under serious pressure going into Sunday's main race. His crash on the first corner of the sprint race on Saturday meant that he went down in five of seven starts, with only three championship points to show.
He made a good start from 15th on the starting grid at Mugello on Sunday and quickly found himself in contention for the top 10. He moved up to eighth place late in the race before team-mate Pedro Acosta edged him by less than three hundredths of a second for eighth place.
Brad Binder stays positive
The seven points Binder earned for ninth place saw him move up one place to 13th in the title race on 42 points. Marc Marquez is running away with the MotoGP championship on 270 points.
'It was a tricky race and I'm glad to finish. It's by no means what I wanted but at least it's a starting point,' Binder told the KTM website after the race.
'Importantly I found out what we need to finish for next week, and if we can get a little bit more stability it will be very beneficial.'
ALSO READ: Brad Binder apologises to Red Bull KTM after double French flop
KTM boss delighted
KTM team boss Aki Ajo was also glad to see a strong finish from Binder.
'For Brad it was a solid day after some crashes recently. It was important to finish and get some confidence back,' Ajo said.
Things did not go all that well for the rest of the South African contingent in Italy. Brad Binder's brother Darryn finished outside the Moto2 points in 21st place, while Ruché Moodley crashed out on lap two of the Moto3 race.
The next stop on the calendar, the 10th of the 22-race season, is the Grand Prix of the Netherlands next weekend.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
27 minutes ago
- The South African
These SEVEN teams have been eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup
After just two matches at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, SEVEN of the 32 teams competing have already been eliminated. However, thanks to the prize money on offer, they do all have the chance of adding to their appearance fees in their final group stage matches. As a reminder, every group stage win is worth $2 million, while a draw will see both sides pick up $1 million. Losers leave empty-handed. In Group C, Auckland City from New Zealand will be preparing to pack their bags after losing 10-0 to Bayern Munich and 6-0 to Benfica in their opening two matches. They will be looking for better fortune – and perhaps a goal – in their final clash against Boca Juniors on Tuesday. Auckland City received $3.58 million in participation fees. In Group D, Los Angeles FC have been eliminated after going down 2-0 to Chelsea and 1-0 against Esperance de Tunis. They too will be hoping to end their campaign on a winning note against Flamengo on Tuesday. Los Angeles FC earned $9.55 million for taking part. In Group E, Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds will head home after the group stage is complete having lost 3-1 to River Plate and 2-1 to Inter Milan. Urawa Red Diamonds will end their tournament against Monterrey on Wednesday. The Japanese side also earned $9.55 million in appearance fees. In Group F, South Korea's Ulsan HD will also see their tournament come to a premature end having lost 1-0 against Mamelodi Sundowns and 4-2 against Fluminense. Ulsan HD face a daunting final clash against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, but did earn $9.55 million for showing up. In Group G, both Wydad AC and Al Ain have been eliminated having lost to Manchester City and Juventus. To be fair to the Moroccan and UAE sides, they were drawn in the 'group of death' and were always going to face a daunting challenge to progress. There's more money on the line for both team's, however, when they clash on Thursday this week. Both Wydad AC and Al Ain earned $9.55 million in appearance fees. Finally, in Group H, Mexico's Pachuca will be leaving after the group stages are complete having lost 2-1 to Red Bull Salzburg and 3-1 against Real Madrid. They will take on Al-Hilal in their final group clash on Thursday. Pachuca banked $9.55 million for qualifying for the tournament. Meanwhile, from a South African point of view, Mamelodi Sundowns still will have a chance of progressing to the Round of 16 despite having lost 4-3 against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Masandawana may well, however, will likely have to upset Brazilian side Fluminense in their final Group F clash on Wednesday, 25 June at 21:00 (SA time) in order to stay in the tournament. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
27 minutes ago
- The South African
Matsoarelo Makuke
Matsoarelo Makuke Matsoarelo Makuke is an award-winning South African sports journalist, presenter and documentarian whose passion for sport and storytelling has made her a prominent figure in township and national sports media. With a career that began in news broadcasting, Matsoarelo transitioned into the sports world where she found her true calling covering and championing under-represented sports stories. Her storytelling and media skills have earned her multiple accolades, including being nominated for the prestigious South African Radio Awards 2024 and winning the 2023 Gauteng Women in Sports Presenter of the Year. She has also been recognized by UNICEF as their Most Promising Reporter.
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Yildiz runs riot as Juventus send Wydad packing
Juventus secured their second win at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a commanding 4-1 over Wydad AC after an outstanding display from Kenan Yildiz in Philadelphia on Sunday evening. For the second game in a row at the tournament, Wydad got off to the worst possible start when Juventus scored with their very first attack in the sixth minute. After a patient build up, Khéphren Thuram played a clever reverse pass to Yildiz, whose shot deflected off Abdelmounaim Boutouil and slipped in at the near post – and went down as an 'own goal'. Although the Turkish youngster was a touch unfortunate with the opener, the second goal left no doubt. Just 10 minutes later, Andrea Cambiaso's good work created the space, and Yildiz fired a thunderbolt into the top-right corner. It was an early contender for goal of the tournament, leaving goalkeeper Mehdi Benabid rooted. Despite the early setback, Wydad AC responded in the 25th minute. Thembinkosi Lorch, one of the tournament's standout performers, latched onto a well-weighted pass from Nordin Amrabat and produced a deft chip over Michele Di Gregorio to make it 2-1. His goal briefly breathed life into the Moroccan side. Lorch remained Wydad's brightest spark throughout the contest. Fellow South African Cassius Mailula was introduced in the 78th minute, but struggled to make an impact as Juventus continued to control proceedings. Although Juventus' Andrea Cambiaso hit the woodwork from a corner and Randal Kolo Muani missed a close range chance, the Italians were never truly threatened in the second half. Yildiz struck again in the 69th minute, this time showing finesse and composure. He received a pass from Kolo Muani, cut inside, and placed a calm finish past the 'keeper for his second goal of the match. In stoppage time, Dusan Vlahovic added further gloss to the scoreline. After being fouled by Guilherme Ferreira, the Serbian converted the penalty to make it 4-1. The result leaves Wydad AC bottom of their group, with zero points from two matches – and out of the tournament ahead of their final clash against Al Ain on Thursday, 26 June. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
