Brno (Czech Republic), Aug 9 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider Brad Binder clinched his first MotoGP win at the Czech Republic Grand Prix here on Sunday.
Binder from South Africa won by over five seconds to lead Franco Morbdelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) over the line as the Italian picked up his first MotoGP rostrum, with polesitter Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) despite taking a long lap penalty for an incident with Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking a memorable podium.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo finished a disappointing seventh. As the lights went out at the Czech Adrenaline Factory, Zarco couldn't get the GP19 hooked up off the line with his holeshot device as the Frenchman slipped backwards, with the two Petronas Yamaha SRT riders getting good launches.
Quartararo led into the first corner but was slightly wide, allowing Morbidelli to slip through and take the lead. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) also got away well from P4 to grab P3, which was soon P2 at Turn 4 as the Spaniard carved past the Championship leader, with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing bikes of Pol Espargaro and Binder making a great start to sit 4th and 5th, with Zarco down to P6.
Binder was then a man on a mission. The South African cut through teammate Espargaro and then got by the latter's brother on the Aprilia with ease, and soon he was right on the tailpipes of Quartararo. The Frenchman was a second off Morbidelli as that gap stayed pretty consistent in the opening few laps, hovering between 1 and 1.3 seconds.
The 2020 MotoGP World Championship will next move to Austria for the myWorld Motorrad Grand Prix (Austrian GP).
( With inputs from IANS )