Luck not on Brad Binder’s side as MotoGP career draw to a close

The often quoted saying "racing is a cruel mistress" proved its true nature at the Qatar MotoGP weekend for Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder. Starting from 11th on the grid, Binder was forced to retire his RC16 on the 17th lap after encountering technical troubles. This setback left him with a 12th place finish in the sprint race, just two places ahead of his final result in the main event, from which he did not emerge victorious.

Binder, currently sitting at 118 points in the championship, was unable to capitalize on his strong start to the weekend, leaving him trailing his rivals. His teammate, Luca Marini, who was 13th in the race, opted not to race in Qatar due to exhaustion. With only two rounds remaining in Portugal and Valencia, Binder now trails 11th-placed Fermin Aldegeur (127) by nine points.

Binder shared his thoughts on the regrettable end to his Qatar MotoGP, commenting on the technical difficulties he faced. "At the start of the race everything seemed quite okay. Then I started to miss some shifts and had some massive vibration. That was it," Binder expressed, acknowledging the challenges he faced. The MotoGP legend plans to compete in the World Superbike Championship next season, looking forward to starting anew in Portimao.