Brad Binder was a relieved man when the curtain came down on the MotoGP season in Valencia on Sunday.
He stormed from 15th on the grid to cross the line in a solid eighth place, but failed to break into the top 10 in the championship standings. His 11th place is his joint worse premier class finish along with his rookie season in 2020. In the four years in between, the Red Bull KTM man recorded one fourth-place and three sixth-place finishes.
Despite the RC16’s well-documented issues, Binder factory KTM team-mate Pedro Acosta adapted much better to the bike this year. The Spanish sensation scored almost double the points the South African did and managed to pip two-time world champion Pecco Bagnaia for fourth place in the title race.
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Brad Binder wants more
Both KTM Tech3 riders, Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales, also stood on the podium this season, a feat Binder last managed during the opening round of 2024. He will be under huge pressure to raise his game in the 2026 season as his contract ends at the end of next season.
“I wanted more from today. I wanted to pick-off more guys but I lacked a bit more pace and the best I could manage today was eighth,” Binder told the KTM website after Sunday’s race.
“A tough year. I feel like I can do a lot better than I did. Things did not gel this season, even if we did make some small improvements at the end.”
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Aprilia finished ahead of KTM
Marco Bezzecchi recorded his second consecutive win in Valencia to secure third place in the title race behind Marc and Alex Marquez. The Italian’s win secured a second place finish for Aprilia ahead of KTM in the constructor’s standings behind Ducati.
Teenager Ruché Moodley’s season came to a disappointing end on Sunday when the Moto3 rider finished well outside the points in 22nd place. Moodley finished his first season in 27th place.
Brad Binder’s brother Darryn Binder, who missed the last two races of the season due to injury, finished 24th in the Moto2 standings.
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