Brad Binder faced a challenging weekend at the wet MotoGP French Grand Prix in Le Mans as two crashes forced him out of the race, prompting a sincere apology to his KTM team. The South African rider struggled from the start, qualifying 13th on the grid with his factory RC16, narrowly missing the Q2 round. Despite this, Binder was considered a strong contender for a podium finish, especially given his previous success in wet conditions, having last won a race in Austria in 2021 under similar circumstances.
The race took a dramatic turn at the end of the fourth lap when Binder crashed at the final corner. Although he managed to rejoin the track and serve the double long lap penalty given for switching from wet to slick tires just before the start, he never reached the pit lane to change back to his wet bike, crashing a second time under worsening track conditions. This sequence left fans and his team frustrated and concerned about what went wrong.
Binder explained his decisions in a candid interview with MotoGP’s official website. Initially confident that slick tires were the correct choice for the first start due to a drying track, he described the wet sighting lap that led to all riders switching back to wets just before the race restart. When the track dried quickly again, he took the gamble to switch back to slicks, believing it to be the right move.
Binder said, admitting that the variable conditions made tire choices extremely tricky.
He detailed the exact moment of his first crash, pointing out that unexpected heavier rain had soaked the last two corners without his notice. Despite recovering from that incident and serving his penalties, he lost control at Turn 1 on a still-wet section of the track for the second crash.
Binder added, reflecting the disappointment hanging over the team.
Currently, Brad Binder sits 14th in the championship with 32 points, narrowly ahead of Tech3’s Enea Bastianini, who finished 13th at Le Mans despite receiving four long lap penalties himself. While Binder’s weekend was tough, KTM’s overall performance at the French GP was encouraging. Riders Pedro Acosta and Maverick Vinales both impressed in the dry conditions, securing top-five finishes that helped maintain the team‘s position in the manufacturers’ standings.
Despite a rough start to the 2025 season, KTM holds third place in the manufacturers’ championship with 76 points, trailing nine points behind Honda. The team’s resilience suggests more intense battles ahead as the MotoGP season unfolds, with Brad Binder keen to recover after the unsettling Le Mans double crash and to turn his fortunes around for the races to come.
