Binder and KTM: on top of the MotoGP™ world in Brno

Binder was then a man on a mission. The South African cut through teammate Espargaro and then got by the latter’s brother on the Aprilia with ease, and soon he was right on the tailpipes of Quartararo. The Frenchman was a second off Morbidelli as that gap stayed pretty consistent in the opening few laps, hovering between 1 and 1.3 seconds.

Pol Espargaro was getting impatient behind Zarco after losing out to the poleman, but after a failed attempt the lap before, the number 44 was through at Turn 3 on Lap 6 and immediately set sights on his teammate and Quartararo, and the battle for second soon became a double factory KTM vs Quartararo fight.

Binder was then through on El Diablo on Lap 9. Turn 3 the chosen place, Binder was slightly wide but the rookie made it stick and, then, Pol Espargaro was through. However the Spaniard was wide at Turn 13 and lost the place, before huge drama then unfolded at Turn 1 on Lap 10.

Espargaro was wide at Turn 1, but not by much. Zarco, just behind, was on the inside line and as Espargaro swept back to get the run up through Turn 2, there was contact between the two. Zarco’s front wheel came in contact with Espargaro’s body and the KTM man was out – heartbreak for the latter as Race Direction began to look at the incident, later handing Zarco a long lap penalty. How costly could that be for Zarco?

There may have been heartbreak for one orange bike, but up the road, Binder wasn’t showing any signs of slowing up. With Binder past Quartararo, another Petronas Yamaha bike was about to feel the wrath. The 33 reeled in Morbidelli with ease and with nine laps left in Brno, Binder led a MotoGP™ race for the first time – but you wouldn’t have thought it.

Immediately, Binder started to stride clear of Morbidelli and on the same lap, Zarco took the long lap penalty. And the Frenchman couldn’t have nailed it better, some spectacular riding saw Zarco sweep round the outside of Turn 7 like his tyres were glued to the asphalt. An unreal and pinpoint piece of riding saw Zarco emerge just ahead of Quartararo as the latter clear hit tyre troubles at the mid-point, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) starting to hunt him in.

Up front, all eyes were on someone who was quickly making a name for himself just two and a half races into his MotoGP™ career. Morbidelli simply had no answer to Binder’s ridiculous pace and South Africa’s new sporting hero was leaving his more experienced competitors in his wake. With seven laps to go the gap was up to a second and a couple of laps later, the lead was 2.1. Was this really it for KTM?

Meanwhile, the Championship leader was in a spot of bother. Rins – still riding injured by the way – was swarming and slid underneath the YZR-M1 rider at Turn 4 with five laps to go, with nine-time World Champion Rossi soon following suit on the same lap. Quartararo quickly found himself lingering down in sixth, with Oliveira now smelling blood too. With four laps to go, Quartararo fell victim to Oliveira and at the front, Binder’s lead soon surpassed the three-second barrier as dreams started to turn into a reality for KTM.

Two to go then. Binder – barring a mistake – was in dreamland had this wrapped up. Morbidelli was safe in second but Zarco was far from safe in the final podium spot. Rins was hot on the heels of the Ducati and Zarco was clearly struggling with rear grip and with two to go, the gap was 0.6 between the GP19 and GSX-RR. That was soon nothing however and Zarco had a nervous final lap coming up.

Binder had a nervous final lap coming up too, but for very different reasons. Binder’s lead was over four seconds and this was it for him and KTM. More than four years of tireless work from the Austrian factory were about to become worth it as a new MotoGP™ star was being born. Binder made no such error and brought his RC-16 home to etch his name into premier class and KTM folklore. Childhood dreams realised across the board.

KTM have arrived to the party, Brad Binder has arrived to the party as MotoGP™ delivers the goods again. Morbidelli brought his Yamaha home to secure a fantastic maiden MotoGP™ podium in second, the Italian had a special weekend in the Czech Republic and he now moves into P3 in the overall standings.