Marco Bezzecchi
Brad Binder has applauded Pedro Acosta after his KTM factory teammate won his first MotoGP race in the Thailand Grand Prix Sprint.
Acosta charged from sixth on the grid to take his first premier-class victory on Saturday. Marco Bezzecchi’s early crash put him on the tail of race leader Marc Marquez.
After a back-and-forth tussle, Marquez was penalised for a move on Acosta on the penultimate lap. He then had to let the 21-year-old through, effectively settling the race.
Pedro Acosta wins his first MotoGP race!
Have we seen just seen MotoGP's best ever Sprint?
Acosta says he ‘doesn’t feel like a winner’ after the intervention of the stewards and is still chasing his first win in a Grand Prix, but this is a significant milestone in his career nonetheless.
Brad Binder takes his hat off to Pedro Acosta after Thailand Sprint win
Binder is a two-time Grand Prix winner in the premier class, though he also took victory in the 2023 Spanish GP Sprint.
Writing on Instagram on Saturday, he said: “Hats off to @37pedroacosta and the team for his first win today.”
Binder also left a comment under Acosta’s post with three applause emojis, while KTM test rider and MotoGP legend Dani Pedrosa wrote: “Vamossss”
Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Acosta is expected to leave KTM at the end of the season after agreeing a deal to become Marquez’s Ducati teammate. Binder may also be starting his final season in factory colours.
Tech3’s Enea Bastianini says KTM remain ‘focused’ on Acosta, consistently their fastest rider, despite his intention to leave.
How did Brad Binder fare in the Thailand Grand Prix Sprint?
Binder qualified 11th on Saturday morning but gained five places in the Sprint to bag his first four points of the year.
The South African only finished in the top six of a Sprint three times last season so, in that context, this is an excellent start.
Acosta noticed that Binder looked more confident, and the 30-year-old confirmed that he can use his desired riding style again.
“P6 in today’s Sprint,” he wrote in his post. “Good points on the board and a solid way to start the season. Feels good to be riding the way I want to again. Ready for 26 laps tomorrow.”
This weekend marks a fresh start with Binder as he works with new crew chief Phil Marron, who supported Toprak Razgatlioglu in World Superbikes last season.
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