Ninth place finish for Brad in the Thailand GP Sprint Race

KTM brought some of the extra heat to Buriram and the 12-corners of the 4.5km layout with the long 1km back straight. The international circuit ranks as one of the toughest for braking and is harsh for both acceleration and stopping demands. The course has been a happy hunting ground for the company and the race team: the crew were victorious through a wet grand prix in 2022 and Brad Binder collected a podium double twelve months previously for both the Sprint and the main race.

On Friday KTM were already up to speed with three RC16s in the top ten and then so close to making the direct entry to Q2 for Saturday. Practice on Friday saw 17 riders split by less than a second so the pursuit of minor details was key for making the difference. Brad missed out on Q2 by 0.001 of a second on Friday and was then one tenth of a second away on Saturday

The chase propelled Binder into touching distance of the top five in the early phases of the Sprint Race with teammate Miller also winning time and positions. Brad then had to deal with rear grip that dragged him into the clutches of his pursuers and he managed the situation to bag 9th.

The grid will re-form for 26-laps in the main race from 09.00 CET Sunday.

Brad Binder
13th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint:

“I tried really hard at the beginning to go with the guys. After the first five laps and the rear tire drop I was spinning a lot and just could not hold the pace. It’s difficult because I feel I can give it a good go. We made some steady progress in other ways but we just need a bit more speed without trying to overdo things and keep working to sort things out. I want to do something to touch our problems for the race tomorrow and hopefully that will lead to a better result.”