Brad Binder shares the ‘only way’ to make Balaton Park safe for MotoGP after Enea Bastianini’s ‘lucky’ escape

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When Balaton Park was announced as a new addition to the MotoGP calendar for the 2025 season, many questioned the interesting layout of the track and the overtaking possibilities that it offered.

As pole-sitter Marc Marquez fell behind the pack at the drop of the lights in Hungary, it was clear that he would have a job on his hands in order to secure his seventh successive win in the premier class. Of course, the dominant Spaniard made it look easy as he did exactly that on his way to the chequered flag.

However, an incident involving Enea Bastianini on the opening lap of the race sparked a debate on the safety of the track. On the exit of turn 12, the Italian rider slid off his bike, across the chicane and into the path of the grid as they made their way out of turn 13.

A horrific crash was narrowly avoided as the pack diverted from the vulnerable Bastianini. He was able to walk away from the incident unscathed as he retired from the race. MotoGP fans declared that the circuit layout should change following the incident, taking to social media to voice their anger at the incident.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Enea Bastianini from net worth to career stats

Brad Binder believes the ‘only way’ to make Balaton Park safer is by ‘killing the speed’

Fellow KTM rider Brad Binder also voiced his thoughts on the narrow escape, offering his own opinion on what officials could do to make the circuit safer and ensure an incident like it doesn’t happen again in the future.

“It was an amazing incident,” Binder told journalists after the race, via Motosan. “He was very lucky to get out of there before someone behind him caught him. The reality is, if you lock up on the corner entry, you’re going to go straight into the ground on the track.

“So I’m not sure how to change it, to be honest. Because the only way I think they make areas of the track safe is by completely killing the speed. So, I think it’s OK in that it was just a small mistake, although it could have been a lot worse.”

Ironically, the chicane was added to the circuit to alleviate some of the safety concerns that MotoGP had with the track.

The usual layout that doesn’t feature the chicane would have seen the prototype bikes reach breathtaking speeds into the entry of the usual turn 11, which could have caused an even more catastrophic incident.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Brad Binder from career stats to wife

Enea Bastianini’s results have tapered off in recent races after a decent start to the 2025 MotoGP season

After kicking the season off with five points finishes in the opening seven races, the Italian rider has only managed three in the most recent seven races.

Bastianini’s results have been in contrast to the rest of the KTM stable, who have seen an improvement in results from Binder and his teammate, Pedro Acosta, in the factory team.

The 27-year-old’s move to KTM came after the news of Marquez replacing him at the factory Ducati team following the Spaniard’s resurgence with satellite team Gresini in 2023. Following Marquez’s dominance with Ducati, Bastianini recently voiced whether he would want to pair with Marquez.

Bastianini also stated that Ducati’s decision to replace him can no longer be questioned due to the calibre of the eight-time world champion’s performances this season. He currently holds a 175-point lead over his brother Alex Marquez in the 2025 riders’ standings.