Red Bull KTM Factory rider Brad Binder will have an uphill battle after his crash in Malaysia ensured the battle for fifth place in the riders’ world championship goes down to the wire.
A weekend in the land of rubber and palm oil started with a lot of promise but ended in horror for the South African rider and his teammate. The second corner crash not only left a few bruises on the affected riders but also loosened Binder’s grip on a tightly contested fifth-place with KTM GasGas rider Pedro Acosta.
The factory KTM rider arrived at the Sepang International Circuit holding a slender six-point lead over future teammate Acosta, but he now trails the rookie by three points after missing out on the opportunity to score any points this past Sunday.
Team manager Francesco Guidotti confirmed that both Binder and Jack Miller were alright, noting that Binder couldn't go back for the restart due to safety reasons.
“Luckily, nobody was injured. It was very bad to see. Brad tried to make the second start, but the pain in the shoulder meant it was not safe to start,” Guidotti said on the KTM website.
“He’ll have a check tomorrow, and Jack had a check in the medical centre but was then back in the box and was okay. We were unlucky today but then fortunate in another way, and we have one more chance to make some results now this season.”
KTM are currently second (316) in the constructors' championship, trailing behind Ducati. Factory team rider Francesco Bagnaia's win in Sepang made it a 24-point game, but it will be advantage Jorge Martin heading into the final race of the season. The venue and date for that race are yet to be announced following the cancellation of the Valencia leg due to devastating flash floods in the Spanish city.