Binder suffers a blinder in Czech

South Africa's Brad Binder chased by Scotland's John McPhee
at a wt Czech GP on 21 Aug 2016

WITH only five laps to go at the Czech GP Moto3 race in Brno yesterday, Potchefstroom’s fastest biker Brad Binder had the hard luck to crash out on his KTM after a spectacular race.

Binder was leading by 1,7 seconds — a lifetime on a wet track — when he lost the front end and slid off on turn one.

Up to Binder’s crash, the race had been very tactical around the slippery corners, with the front four filled by Aron Canet and John McPhee behind Binder and Joge Martin.

Behind them Binder’s teammate Bo Bendsneyder was sitting in fifth — after starting 24th — and wet-weather specialist Khairul Idham Pawi was slowly climbing from an even lowlier 28th place on the grid.

Then Canet crashed out on lap eight and a few rounds later Binder had his blinder, followed moments later into the kitty litter by Pawi, which gifted McPhee an easy 10-second win.

Bendsneyder rode brilliantly throughout the race, starting the last lap in 10th and making three big passes to finish seventh.

After his crash, Binder tweeted: “You live you learn … Sorry to my team at Red Bull KTM and well done to [McPhee] on his first win in the Moto3 GP.”

Martin ended second, followed in third by Gresini’s Fabio di Giannantonio, his third podium in six races.

For the factory teams, it was a double win, with the Peugeot and Mahindra teams racing identical machines, followed by Honda and KTM.

“The positive thing is that I only lost six points from my lead in the World Championship,” said Binder after the race.

He now leads the World Championship with 179 points, 61 ahead of his nearest rival. The next Moto3 GP race is at Silverstone in two weeks’ time.

Results (Race)

1. John McPhee (Peugeot) 45:36.087

2. Jorge Martin (Mahindra) +8.806

3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Honda) +9.777

4. Enea Bastianini (Honda) +10.654

5. Niccolo Antonelli (Honda) +13.872

7. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +15.819

DNF. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship
Standing 2016

1. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 179 points

2. Jorge Navarro (Honda) 118 points

3. Enea Bastianini (Honda) 94 points

4. Romano Fenati (KTM) 93 points

5. Francesco Bagnaia (Mahindra) 90 points

19. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 36 points