When leading the MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix race, aiming for a possible victory, Brad Binder missed a braking point and ran wide. The Red Bull KTM rider lost several positions and managed to recover to fourth, before moving up to third after the race due to the penalty imposed on Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini/Ducati).
The South African explained what happened when he went wide: ‘It was the same as on Saturday: when I got to the front, the front tire got cold. I started to have a lot of vibration on the right side, which is usually an indicator for us. Just rolling, before even touching the front brake, the front slipped in turn 11, so I was really lucky to stay in the race to be honest – even though I had to do this silly lap and lose a lot of time because the paint [on the asphalt] is very slippery if you go wide. Anyway, that’s what it is. I think we were doing well until that moment. I was very lucky not to land in the gravel. So anything from now on is a bonus’.
Asked if this incident was a result of the low temperatures due to the late hour, Binder replied: ‘Who knows, to be honest? I think it’s clear that it’s almost the same for everyone in the end. But it’s late here in Valencia for winter and races are not really a sport for winter. This is what it is, but it doesn’t go well. It’s a bit complicated for sure, but in the end it’s the same for everyone, so it’s something we need to manage’.
