Brad Binder's Le Mans ends in gravel – twice – as season continues to unravel

Brad Binder’s difficult start to the 2025 MotoGP season continued at Le Mans, as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider crashed out of both the sprint and the main race — despite showing early promise in challenging conditions.

Binder, who qualified 13th and once again missed out on Q2, had been looking to build on encouraging signs from a sixth-place finish in the Spanish Grand Prix, but his outing in France would prove to be another punishing chapter in his campaign.

Saturday’s sprint offered a glimpse of what might have been. The South African surged into seventh place with characteristic aggression before crashing out after four laps.  Hopes of redemption on Sunday were high, especially with rain complicating proceedings. 

Binder, known for his prowess in wet conditions, couldn’t tame the unpredictable Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, as the slippery surface prevented a finish in the top seven for two consecutive races.

The South African made a bright start in the main race, climbing from 13th to fifth as the field wrestled with the rapidly changing track conditions. Like many riders, Binder opted for a mid-race bike swap to adjust to the evolving grip — a move that triggered two long-lap penalties as they started the warm-up lap from the pit lane.

Even with the setback, he looked competitive and well-placed for a top result until the conditions finally caught him out.

“Not too much to say. My race was a lot shorter than I would have liked," Binder reflected, after the race.

“It was very tricky to understand what tires we should have had at the beginning. We had wets, came in for slicks and I thought things were going quite well but into the last corner there was a bit more water than I expected and it just slipped away. 

“I picked up, did my two long laps and was planning to come in but it just washed in Turn 1. It was time to have been on the wets.”

The South African will be hoping for an improved showing when they next take to the track in a fortnight.

“Sometimes things do not work out, and I am sorry to my team because they deserved a good result after all their efforts lately. We’ll try again in Silverstone,” he concluded.