Difficult weekend for Brad Binder at French MotoGP
Brad Binder did not finish the race because of the crash in the French MotoGP. | Red Bull
South African MotoGP rider Brad Binder did not finish the French MotoGP after he crashed the RC16 at turn 14 at the Bugatti Circuit.
Red Bull KTM Racing confirmed that he was okay after the crash, but his Championship fight slipped further and further away from him.
Binder's teammate Pedro Acosta took home a superbly raced P4 for the team, their highest of the season so far, and some valuable points towards the team championship.
Italian racer Johann Zarco stunned the MotoGP world to pull off an incredible victory at home, robbing team Ducati of the opportunity to rewrite history.
But while Ducati leads the way, Red Bull and Binder have yet to find their way this season.
The South African started Sunday's main race from P13 and did well to fight up the pack to sixth position before crashing out. Both Red Bull drivers have found a quicker pace from what they first started the season with, which could be owed to improvements on the RC set up.
The Potchefstroom-born racer made the best of his situation, even with the wet weather on Sunday making conditions even more difficult.
The intensity of the rain had increased by the time the race was about to begin, causing all riders to pit at the end of the original warm-up lap, delaying the start. Binder was one of the 13 riders to get back onto the dry bikes for the race, but had to serve a double long lap as a penalty.
The team's financial woes have added a layer of difficulty for them to compete against highly funded teams like Ducati and Yamaha, regardless, Binder and Acosta have made the most of their position and have been putting up a decent fight.
It wasn't the first crash Binder experienced this weekend, which seemed to be tainted with a bit of bad luck. Binder crashed during the time attack session on Friday and crashed four laps into the French Sprint.
'One of the strangest crashes I've had… front locked up straight and that was that. Otherwise I felt good all day, just didn't come together. We will go again tomorrow. Plan is to get off the line clean and try to make something of it,' Binder said.
As far as points go, Binder dropped down to 14th on the rider standings with his 32 points, while Acosta jumped to 9th place after his stellar ride on Sunday.
He will now look to Silverstone in two weeks for the British MotoGP and hopefully get back to the top of the pack where he feels comfortable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Gauff ends Boisson's dream run to reach final, Sabalenka dethrones Swiatek
Coco Gauff ended local heroine Lois Boisson's dream run at the French Open with a ruthless 6-1 6-2 victory on Thursday to set up a final clash with top seed Aryna Sabalenka. Laser-focused, the world number two from the US subdued the French wild card and the home crowd to speed through the contest on Court Philippe Chatrier and reach the Roland Garros final for the second time after she lost to Iga Swiatek in 2022. Ranked 361st in the world, Boisson had downed world number three Jessica Pegula and Russia's Mirra Andreeva in the previous rounds, but she looked deflated against Gauff. The 22-year-old will, however, pocket a career-changing €690,000 (R14m) in prize money, while Gauff will have the chance to secure her second Grand Slam title after winning the 2023 US Open. Earlier, world number one Sabalenka battled past four-time champion Iga Swiatek to reach her first French Open final with a 7-6(1) 4-6 6-0 victory that ended the Pole's reign in Paris and snapped her 26-game winning streak in the tournament. The Belarusian's power proved too much for the defending champion, who was looking to become the first female player in the Open era since 1968 to win four consecutive titles in Paris. Swiatek had won the previous three editions along with her maiden crown in 2020 The top seed will now play either France's Lois Boisson, the first player in the Open Era to reach this stage of the French Open as a wild card, or second-seeded American Coco Gauff in Saturday's showcase match. 'Honestly, it feels incredible but I understand the job is not done yet. I'm just thrilled today with this win and the atmosphere,' Sabalenka said. 'She's the toughest opponent, especially on clay, especially at Roland Garros. It was a tough match it was a tricky match but I managed.' Sabalenka, playing her second French open semifinal and seeking her first title in Paris, powered into a 3-0 lead, twice breaking the Pole. She kept attacking her opponent's serve with Swiatek winning just 35% of her points on her second serve. Swiatek, who late last year accepted a one-month doping ban and came into the tournament without a single title win this season, had reached the semifinals dropping just one set in five matches. But she looked completely out of sorts. With seven unforced errors in the first three games she was playing catch-up from the start. The Pole, struggled with her serve and had racked up two double faults by the fifth game. She gradually, however, found her range and precision, countering Sabalenka's raw power with superb ball placement and levelled when her opponent double-faulted on break point. The Belarusian was furious, angrily shouting to her team in the box, before overrunning her opponent in the tiebreak. The pair traded breaks at the start of the second set before Swiatek earned another to level the match. But Sabalenka was not to be denied, breaking the 24-year-old world number five at the start of the third to take control. 'I think the pace from her was super fast,' Swiatek said. 'Especially at the beginning of the match, she played just kind of as hard as possible and pretty risky. So it was just hard to get into any rally.' 'In the third set I feel like we kind of came back to what happened in the first, and she for sure used her chances, and I didn't really keep up what I was doing in the second set.' Sabalenka gave her opponent no chance with her thunderous groundstrokes, powering through the decider as Swiatek ran out of steam. 'It could not be more perfect than that,' Sabalenka said of her third-set performance. 'I'm super proud right now, I'm glad I found my serve [again in the third set].'
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Coco Gauff stops fairytale Lois Boisson run to reach French Open final
Gauff advances to the final Winner US Coco Gauff (R) shakes hands with France's Lois Boisson at the end of their women's singles semi-final match on day 12 of the French Open tennis tournament on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Complex in Paris on Thursday. Photo: Julien de Rosa/AFP Image: Julien de Rosa/AFP Coco Gauff brought a quick end to surprise French hero Lois Boisson's improbable run at Roland Garros on Thursday to set up a final against world number one Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff dominated from the outset on Court Philippe Chatrier and pulled away to a 6-1, 6-2 victory to extinguish the host nation's hopes of a first French Open winner since Mary Pierce in 2000. The 21-year-old Gauff is through to her third Grand Slam singles final. She finished runner-up to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros three years ago before beating Sabalenka to win the 2023 US Open. "Obviously there's still a lot of work to do, but for now I'll enjoy this one and then prepare for the final tomorrow," she said. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. For Boisson, 22, it marked a disappointing finish to a remarkable first Grand Slam appearance, a year after missing out because of a serious knee injury. The world number 361 had never played a top-50 opponent before this week. Boisson dumped out two in the top 10 in third-ranked Jessica Pegula and world number six Mirra Andreeva to set up her last-four clash with Gauff. But Gauff proved a hurdle too far for a player who only had one WTA tour-level win before the start of the tournament. Boisson's entrance on court drew huge roars from a crowd filling back up after watching Sabalenka knock out three-time reigning champion Swiatek in the first semi-final. Cheers greeted each of Boisson's returns during the warm-up, but it was Gauff who hit the ground running with a break of serve in the opening game. The American second seed followed a comfortable hold with another break to dampen home spirits as the rain began to pound heavily on the closed roof. Boisson passed up three break points in the fourth game before finally getting on the board after Gauff had raced into a 4-0 lead. Gauff wrapped up the set with little fuss though following another break, subduing a partisan crowd that helped spur Boisson past Andreeva in the quarter-finals. After an exchange of holds to begin the second set, Boisson couldn't capitalise on a break point in the third game as she fired a forehand low into the net. Gauff broke for a 3-1 cushion only to hand the advantage right back the next game. With Boisson struggling for the consistency of earlier rounds, Gauff soon seized control again with her fifth break of the match for a 4-2 edge. Boisson could not produce one last act of defying the odds as Gauff pocketed the final two games to seal a comfortable victory. AFP
The Citizen
5 hours ago
- The Citizen
Brad Binder hopes to regain confidence ahead of Aragon MotoGP
Red Bull KTM man has slipped to a lowly 14th place in the premier class world championship. Brad Binder has twice stood on the top step at Aragon. Picture: Red Bull KTM Despite returning to a happy hunting ground at the Aragon MotoGP this weekend, that is still no guarantee for Brad Binder to stop the rot he is currently experiencing on his Red Bull KTM RC16. Binder only managed a solitary championship point in his last four starts and is languishing in 14th place on 34 points in the title race. He is already a mammoth 162 points behind leader Marc Marquez (196) after just seven out of 22 rounds. The KTM man finished fourth twice in the premier class at the 5.08km layout in Spain, while he also took the chequered flag twice at Aragon in Moto2. Brad Binder hopes to improve 'I need to regain my confidence and take advantage of the good feelings when they come,' Binder told the PaddockGP website after the last race at Silverstone. After crashing out twice in France and then in the sprint race at Silverstone, Binder finished 15th in the main race, citing his struggles with the RC16. 'The last thing I want is to not finish four races in a row. And even when I'm driving at my limit, I'm asking myself, 'What am I doing?' ALSO READ: Brad Binder apologises to Red Bull KTM after double French flop 'A little tricky' 'This is certainly not ideal. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not supposed to be riding in 15th position. But that's how it is. That's really my level right now,' he continued. 'It's a little tricky. But I must regain confidence. And I'm sure we'll get there.' The situation in the KTM garage is so dire that it rumoured Binder's team-mate Pedro Acosta, touted as a future premier class champ, has been in talks with various other manufacturers to jump ship. Binder is still contracted until the end of next year. ALSO READ: Brad Binder: Brilliant on a bike, but 'useless' at braaiing Darryn good to go Gresini Moto2 confirmed that Brad Binder's younger brother Darryn Binder will race in Spain. He missed the French and British Grands Prix with an arm injury and has undergone 'three intense weeks of rehabilitation and physiotherapy'. Teenager Ruché Moodley will eye another points finish in Aragon after making a low-key return at Silverstone. The BOE Motorsport rider was still recovering from a from fractured radius in his right arm he suffered during practice at the Spanish Grand Prix, an incident he also had to serve two long-lap penalties for at Silverstone. The MotoGP sprint race starts at 3pm on Saturday and the main at 2pm on Sunday. The lights go out fir the Moto3 race at 11am on Sunday, with Moto2 action getting underway at 12.15pm.
