The MotoGP Race of Brno at the Czech Republic on Sunday saw a certain unknown Rookie rider from the Red Bull KTM factory outfit Brad Binder take the Win! It was the first ever win for Red Bull KTM. Binder overtook two hard charging Yamaha SRTs of Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli to emerge the winner.
Binder said in post-race, “This is a day I have dreamed about since I was a little boy. Today, it came true. They put an absolutely insane motorbike underneath me this weekend.”
Current league leaders Quartararo, Morbidelli and Yamaha SRT couldn’t believe their fates as they were beaten by a rookie. Morbidelli ended up second and Quartararo in seventh. Although finishing seventh, Quartararo still manages to hold on to the standings’ lead. Morbidell, meanwhile, made it ten podiums for the team since their MotoGP debut last year. Ducati Satellite team’s Johann Zarco claimed the final spot on the podium, with Suzuki’s Alex Rins fourth and Valentino Rossi fifth.
At race start, Morbidelli got off to a fast start and pulled away from the field. The second Yamaha SRT of Quartararo was right there in second, but was soon troubled by tyre issues. As the laps continued to count down Morbidelli experienced increased tyre wear. Out of nowhere, Binder started to close In on the leading Yamaha SRT. They battled for a bit before Binder swooped in for the lead and Morbidelli decided to settle for runner up spot at the closing stage.
Quartararo would drop back behind Rins, Rossi and a certain Miguel Oliveira, the second Red Bull KTM rider. With other championship contenders faring worse than him, he decided to not risk a crash and make sure to rack up as many points as possible for the top spot in the riders standings.
The Yamaha factory team could fair no better than fifth and 14th for Rossi and Vinales. Having started 10th, Rossi pushed to the max as did his team mate. The Doctor made progress fast to get up to sixth by the mid-distance of the race. With five laps to go he was in the group with Rins and Quartararo for the fight for fourth. He overtook the Yamaha SRT rider and withstood the pressure from behind applied by Oliveira, to take 5th place, 7.517s from first.
The Ducati factory squad, like the other factory teams, struggled through the weekend as Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci finished eleventh and twelfth respectively. Dovizioso was in the top ten, as was Petrucci and Jack Miller. The scorching heat at Brno made tyres management an issue for everyone, Dovizioso couldn’t push further and finished 11th just outside the top ten. Miller would finish ninth, behind Takami Nakagami in the LCR Honda and ahead of Aleix Espargaro.
With Reigning Champion Marc Marquez continuing to recover from injury, Repsol Honda had to rely on rookie Alex Marquez and Stefan Bradl who’d just joined the camp since his last race at 2019 Austrian race. But neither rider could take advantage of the race as Marquez was 15th and Bradl was DNF.
The MotoGP contingent next head to the Austrian race at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, from 14-16 August.
MotoGP Race of Brno Rd4 results
1 BINDER Brad Red Bull KTM 41’38.764
2 MORBIDELLI Franco Yamaha SRT 5.266
3 ZARCO Johann Esponsorama Racing 6.470
4 RINS Alex Suzuki 6.609
5 ROSSI Valentino Yamaha MotoGP 7.517
6 OLIVEIRA Miguel Red Bull 7.969
7 QUARTARARO Fabio Yamaha SRT 11.827
8 NAKAGAMI Takaaki LCR Honda 12.862
9 MILLER Jack Pramac Racing 15.013
10 ESPARGARO Aleix Aprilia Racing 15.087
Riders standings
1 QUARTARARO Fabio 59
2 VINALES Maverick 42
3 MORBIDELLI Franco 31
4 DOVIZIOSO Andrea 31
5 BINDER Brad 28
6 ZARCO Johann 28
7 ROSSI Valentino 27
8 NAKAGAMI Takaaki 27
9 MILLER Jack 20
10 RINS Alex 19
