MotoGP Qatar: ‘The start was insane!’ - Binder

Brad Binder’s Qatar GP was so much more than the Red Bull KTM rider was expecting having ended his first race of 2022 on the podium in second.

A lightning start saw the South African blitz through the leading pack, from seventh on the grid to third at the first corner. Once firmly in the front group, Binder held fast. Marc Marquez was the first target, with the KTM dispatching the Honda six laps in to sit second until the Ducati-powered Enea Bastianini arrived.

“I pushed from the beginning to the end,” Binder admitted. “When Enea came past me I had nothing for him.”

The 26-year-old looked to settle for third as the second half unfolded but after race-long-leader Pol Espargaro also succumbed to the Gresini rider’s determination, opportunity presented itself and he was quick to capitalise. Advancing to second, he held the position to the chequered flag collecting 20 points at a track the Austrian manufacturer had previously failed to finish higher than eighth.

“Yeah, the start was insane,” Binder exclaimed after the podium. “I knew that we had been getting good starts all year, well the whole of last year, but tonight’s was a little bit extra!

“When I started shifting the gears and I started to jump the row in front of me, I thought ‘That’s perfect’. To slide into turn one in third place was perfect. I was able to really just stay calm and try and follow the boys out front at the beginning. Careful to protect the tyres a little bit because we knew it was going to be a bit on the limits, especially the rear here.

“I tried my best just to not overdo it or make any mistakes. So hats off to both the guys here [Espargaro and Bastianini], they did an incredible job. It was difficult. The last two laps I tried so hard to catch up