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- Brad Binder finished the San Marino MotoGP race in 14th after crashing out in the race's early stages.
- Binder is fourth in the 2023 Championship standings.
- KTM wild card Dani Pedrosa finished in fourth place for the team.
- For more sports news, go to the News24 Sport front page.
South African MotoGP rider Brad Binder had a challenging time during Sunday's 27-lap San Marino Grand Prix.
Though the Red Bull KTM rider quickly found himself in the top four after starting seventh, things took an unexpected turn for the worse as, during the race's early stages, he lost control of the bike at Turn 14.
The crash left Binder with a mountain to climb as he managed to claw his way up to 14th, banking two championship points in the process.
"To be honest, in both races, we have been fast," he said after a tough Sunday.
"[On Saturday] I had an issue at the start [of the Sprint Race] and was able to catch up, which was really good. Then [Sunday], I improved and was feeling great, but it looks like I had a little bit more [lean] angle in Turn 14, and it was enough to lose the front.
"After that, it was a very long 20 laps with some of the aero gone. There are positives to take from [Sunday], but sorry to the guys in my team for losing a good opportunity."
Binder's teammate, Jack Miller, crashed out at Turn 4 a lap after Binder's fall.
Pedrosa the 'wild card'
There were plenty of positives for the Red Bull KTM team to take away from Misano as wild card contender Dani Pedrosa registered a strong result for the team.
In Saturday's Sprint Race, the Spaniard finished a respectable fourth, while Binder was just 0.2 seconds behind in fifth place.
Pedrosa continued his form in Sunday's main race for another top-four result. He ran fifth behind Binder and inherited the position after the South African's crash.
"After Brad crashed, I saw the group ahead was not getting away from me, so I thought, 'let's give everything and try to catch them'," Pedrosa said.
"When I was very close, I had another 'moment' and nearly went flying. The gap grew and shrunk until Pecco (Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati) was struggling on the last laps. I had another go because the bike was working really well.
"Overall, close to the podium again, but I want to thank the team for all their work. I'm happy. I don't think I've been quite so pleased with a fourth place!"
Championship standings
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 283 points
2. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati, 247
3. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Ducati, 218
4. Brad Binder (RSA) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 173
10. Jack Miller (AUS) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 104
