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Red Bull KTM marked a major racing milestone at the weekend at a hot Czech Republic GP for the third round of the 2020 MotoGP season.

South African Brad Binder, in just his third outing in the premier class, took the KTM RC16 to a clear victory: the first for the company in MotoGP, the first for Binder (and for his country) and the second trophy from only three-and-a-half years KTM have been on the grid.

MotoGP basked in more elevated summer temperatures for the annual visit to the Automotodrom Brno. Teams and riders had spent the better part of two days refining set-ups in the search for traction and to preserve tire life across the bumpy asphalt. Red Bull KTM saw Pol Espargaro and Brad Binder launch away from the second and third rows of the starting grid with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 RC16s machines of Miguel Oliveira and Iker Lecuona also in the mix.

Both Espargaro and Binder settled into the top five from the outset. While Binder found extra speed to work his way to the front, Espargaro was in hot pursuit until he collided with Johann Zarco in the tussle for 3rd place and crashed out on lap 10.

Binder went from strength to strength as he passed the winner of the first two Grands Prix, Frenchman Fabio Quartararo, and also Franco Morbidelli to control the race from P1 and with authority for the last nine laps of the 21. Oliveira also moved through the pack and his 6th position at the flag represented his personal best result in MotoGP to-date.

Brad Binder: “Honestly, right now, I’m lost for words. I’ve dreamt of this since I was a little boy and today it came true. It is amazing to win my first GP [in MotoGP]. Thank you to everybody who supported me, and the whole team: they put an insane motorcycle beneath me today! I didn’t know if we could win but I knew we would have a go. It was the craziest ten laps of my life at the end. I was being as soft as I could. It was incredible. Unbelievable.”

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director: “For KTM this is an unbelievable day. It’s historic for our company and for the whole team but of course for Brad Binder; who has believed in us and our project for many years. Today is payback for so much hard work. We knew we had a better bike for this year and this did not happen by accident: it came from everything we learned during the last years. With Dani Pedrosa, Mika Kallio and the test team we worked and developed for over a full year to have this bike now. At the end of the day you need a fantastic rider to put the bike on the top step and Brad did it today, and in the same style as he won in Moto3 and Moto2 races for us. It´s an incredible feeling and we will now build on this result. On the other hand, I want to thank Pol Espargaro because also he – together with his crew – brought every piece of the puzzle together to bring this project to the top. Today is the result of a fantastic team effort: at home in Munderfing and Mattighofen, through the test team and a great crew on track.”

MotoGP travels to Austria and to the Red Bull Ring for the first of back-to-back weekends starting August 16 at the fast Spielberg circuit.

Photo courtesy KTM Europe

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Results MotoGP Monster Energy Grand Prix of the Czech Republic 2020

1. Brad Binder (RSA), Red Bull KTM
2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA), Yamaha 41:22.666
3. Johann Zarco (FRA), Ducati +4.495
4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha +5.546
5. Alex Rins (JPN), Honda +6.113
6. Joan Mir (ESP), Yamaha +7.693
7. Miguel Oliveira (POR), Red Bull KTM Tech3 +7.969

Championship positions after the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic 2020