Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s talented South African rider, faces a tough road in his bid to secure fifth place in the 2023 MotoGP championship standings after crashing out of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Despite a promising start to the weekend, the Sepang circuit proved unforgiving, dealing a blow to Binder’s campaign just as the season nears its climax.
The Malaysian GP weekend, held at the Sepang International Circuit—an arena famed for its heat and humidity—started with high hopes for Binder and his KTM teammates. However, Binder’s race ended abruptly in the second corner of the opening lap, forcing him out of the points and tightening the battle for fifth place in the standings with his KTM GasGas rival, Pedro Acosta.
Arriving in Malaysia, Binder held a slim six-point lead over Acosta, the rookie sensation and his future KTM teammate. Yet, following his crash and the resulting inability to restart, Binder has fallen three points behind Acosta, intensifying their fight for a strong finish to the season.
KTM’s Team Manager, Francesco Guidotti, confirmed that both Binder and teammate Jack Miller, who was also involved in a separate incident, were ultimately uninjured. Despite Binder’s best efforts to join the race restart, he was advised not to continue due to shoulder pain, which raised safety concerns.
“Fortunately, no one was injured, though it was hard to see Brad unable to restart,” Guidotti shared on the KTM website. “Brad attempted a second start, but shoulder pain made it unsafe. He will undergo a further medical check, while Jack was checked at the track medical center and was cleared to return.”
Binder’s crash and subsequent retirement were disappointing for KTM, who is currently in second place in the constructors’ championship standings with 316 points, trailing Ducati. Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia extended Ducati’s lead with a win in Sepang, making it a 24-point margin. With only one race remaining, KTM has a steep challenge to close the gap, but Binder and Miller are set to push hard for strong results.
The season’s final race will be pivotal, yet its location and date are still pending after severe flash floods in Valencia forced the cancellation of the race initially scheduled there. This unexpected rescheduling means Binder will have one final chance to reclaim fifth place in the standings, but the pressure is on as he faces the task of overtaking Acosta.
The drama of the season continues, with KTM’s Binder and Acosta locked in a fierce contest for fifth place and constructors’ standings that could still shift in KTM’s favor.
