Indonesian MotoGP: Brad Binder: Ideal line 'super-small', passing 'sketchy'

Eighth place in Friday practice at the Indonesian MotoGP means Brad Binder is provisionally on course for direct access to Qualifying 2.
Brad Binder, MotoGP, Indonesian MotoGP, 18 March 2022
Brad Binder, MotoGP, Indonesian MotoGP, 18 March 2022
© Gold and Goose

That could be especially important this weekend due to the thin racing line on an otherwise di⛎rty track making overtaking 'quite sketchy'.

"It looks like the ideal line is still super-small," said the KTM rider. "It has helped&nbs🥀p;having Moto2 and Moto3 here because it is getting a little bit wider.

"But I was really shocked this morning at how dirty the track was. I thought it would be at a much better level. The first 5-6 laps we were just trying to stay on this tiny line and if you ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚwent off it was filthy.

"The track is getting better and as the week✱end goes on it is going toꦜ get cleaner and the extra rubber will give us some good grip too.

"The biggest thing here is that the track is melting! It is so hot. I believ🎀e there was over 60 degrees track temperature and you don’t often see that.

"It means there is not a lot of grip to start with and then whౠen you go off line there's the dirt."

Binder added: "I've passed two people and both t♍imes were quite sketchy. You have to pass right next to the guy because if you go a bit more inside of them then you are in the dirt and it is so easy to lock the front.

"It ♚is going to be difficult in the race and it'll be important to be clear with your moves. It is goin꧑g to be very easy to make a mistake and it won’t just be you that goes down at the end of the day."

A consistent s☂eventh and then eighth over the two track sessions, Binder is hoping to find more grip on corner entry ꦬto help build confidence with the special tyre casing brought by Michelin due to cope with the searing temperatures.

"It seems that this casing we have on 🌳the rear definitely🐬 makes things a little bit different," said Binder, who was getting his first taste of a casing last used at Buriram 2018.

"It has much less grip on corner entry so it is a lot more difficult to stop the bike and to trust the rear o🎃n corner entry.

"Other than that it was a good day. We need to work tomor𒊎row on the medium rear tyre to find a little bit of a better feeling on corner entry to keep more contact. But on the soft I felt good.

"I didn’t do𒊎 a good lap but I’m super-happ🧸y to be in Q2 so far."

Team-mate ꦚMiguel Oliveira was sec🌺ond in the damp FP1, then ninth in FP2.

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