KTM rider Brad Binder described his speed during the 2025 MotoGP Czech Grand Prix as “nowhere near enough” after finishing ninth, starting from the last row on the grid. The South African rider’s expectations were high heading into Brno, having celebrated his first premier class victory at this venue in 2020.
Despite hopes for a strong result, Binder struggled throughout the weekend, especially in the mixed weather conditions on Friday. His qualifying session was disappointing, placing him 19th, far from the frontrunners.
Challenges During the Race and Progress Made
In the main race, Binder gradually advanced through the field, moving up to 10th place on the track and eventually being promoted to ninth after Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer received a penalty. While he managed to make some progress, Binder ended the race 17.371 seconds behind the winner and over 14 seconds back from his KTM teammate Pedro Acosta, who claimed third place.
Reflecting on his weekend, Binder shared,
“It was a bit of an up and down weekend. It started off really well in FP1… well, in the wet. In the dry I struggled a bit. But PR I just never really had the pace in the wet, neither in the Q1. I felt like I found extra pace come the sprint race, and then in the main race as well I felt like I made a small improvement. However it’s nowhere near enough and not where I want to be at all. But currently I’m trying to figure things out, trying to find my speed and I think from 19th on the grid it’s always going to be a bit tricky. But to finish eighth at the end, it’s an improvement.”
Looking back on his performance, Binder added,
“I passed a few guys and we’ve just got to keep working and try and figure this thing out.”
—Brad Binder, KTM Rider
Context of the Weekend and Championship Standings
Pedro Acosta’s podium finish was KTM’s first of the season, following two podiums in the sprint race at Brno. Meanwhile, Binder’s result saw him move up the order but still struggling to match the pace of the front runners.
Heading into the summer break, Brad Binder is positioned 12th in the championship standings with 68 points, while Acosta holds seventh place with 124 points. The performance gap between the teammates reflects the ongoing challenges Binder faces as he seeks to regain his competitive edge this season.
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