Brad Binder thinks that going into the MotoGP summer break, KTM has a clear direction.
Even though he only placed ninth in the German Grand Prix, Binder reported feeling “much better” in his RC16 after making significant modifications to the bike on Saturday.
Before a mistake in the last sector allowed Pedro Acosta to pass Binder and take the lead in the race, the rookie KTM driver was ranked seventh going into the last lap.
“We made a lot of changes for the race today, especially for the warm-up,” Binder stated. “The bike handled considerably more easily and felt much better. We improved our turning for the race by taking a major step.
“The bike was stopping a little better, but it’s obvious that we still need to figure something out since the people in front of us were unmatched.
The previous few races have all told the same tale. To keep up with the boys ahead of us, we must pick up the pace.
“I believe we learned a lot and made some drastic adjustments to determine the best course of action to try to maintain the performance, particularly throughout a race.
“The race was going pretty well until the very last lap, when I lost the lead and dropped two spots due to the waterfall.
“It’s not ideal, but I’d rather drop two spots than feel like I’m getting beat up before summer break.”
Speaking about his race, Acosta acknowledged that it was difficult because he had a challenging weekend in general.
Although it was another race in which he and KTM had no answers for Ducati, not Miguel Oliveira’s Aprilia, the GASGAS rider did a nice job of salvaging seventh.
“Overall, it was a difficult race, especially after a weekend with a few problems, but it was beneficial to have these setbacks before I go to the factory in Austria next week, where we can work on these together,” Acosta continued.
“We are pleased with the season’s first half overall. Even though we have been making progress consistently, there is still more work to be done.”
