'Confident' Brad Binder aims for first win in two years at KTM's home Austrian MotoGP

Brad Binder turned 28 this week and the South African is intent on wrapping up his birthday celebrations in style at the Austrian MotoGP.

The pressure is on the popular KTM rider to perform at his Austrian factory team's local circuit.

While world champion Francesco Bagnaia tightened his grip on the overall lead in the last race at Silverstone a fortnight ago, Binder took third place to move fourth overall. He is the top non-Ducati rider in the standings.

That was a welcome change of luck for Binder who was denied podiums in both the sprint and main race at Assen in June after track limit time penalties.

He returns to the Red Bull Ring, where he won in 2021 for his second, and last, Sunday success. After taking two sprints this term he feels it's time for his third career MotoGP victory.

"This is the closest thing I'm going to have for a 'home' grand prix," Binder said at the circuit on Thursday.

"It's KTM's home. I always want to have a strong weekend.

"It was an amazing feeling to win here. There's no better place to get a result right."

Binder, who has a second and a third on a Sunday this year to add to Saturday sprint wins in Argentina and Spain, continued: "I'm going into the weekend with a lot of confidence.

"The bike is working exceptionally well lately.

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'Not far away'

"I'm ready to give it a go and see how this weekend pans out. It's cool to win two sprint races but it's been a while since I won on a Sunday.

"I need to just make some small tweaks. We're not far away.

"Many times this year, I've been fighting for a podium - even though I've made some mistakes, and I've made a lot of them, thrown away a few."

Ducati factory star Bagnaia arrives sitting comfortably atop the riders