By Donovan Fourie | Guest Contributor | MotoGP Analyst
MotoGP Returns to Brno
After a five-year absence, MotoGP returned to the Czech Republic and the verdant Brno Circuit. The race itself was largely uninteresting by MotoGP standards – Marc Marquez made light work of the pack, pulled a lead and won. What was interesting was who else was on the podium.
Ducati has been praised as the motorcycle to be on if a rider wants to secure a MotoGP victory. It’s why Marc Marquez took a major pay-cut to move from his beloved Honda and spent a year as a satellite rider in order to gain a seat on a factory Ducati. And yet, it wasn’t Ducatis that dominated.
Bezzecchi Steps Up for Aprilia
In second place was Marco Bezzecchi, a rider gaining more and more of a reputation as a front runner, aboard his Aprilia. His success is the reason Aprilia will be retaining the services of the current world champion, Jorge Martin.
Martin injured himself during pre-season testing and missed the first part of the season. At Qatar, he made a return that lasted all of half the race before he crashed again, breaking various ribs and puncturing a lung. His sick leave was far from quiet – Martin is contracted to Aprilia for 2025 and 2026. During his months off, his manager began negotiations to move to Honda, citing the success of Johann Zarco in the early part of the season. Aprilia, naturally, took offence to such negotiations on completely understandable grounds that Martin does have a contract. Martin’s manager pointed to a performance clause in the contract stating that should there be a lack of performance during the Martin-Aprilia relationship, the rider can opt out of his contract. The problem is that Martin’s lack of performance was injury-based and not the fault of the bike, but contracts are tricky things with many interpretations.
With Bezzecchi finding his form, and Zarco going through something of a slump, it seems Martin has reconsidered his position and will remain faithful to his contract until the end of 2026.
Brno marked his return to racing after a year of almost no riding whatsoever, very little experience on the Aprilia and very little development of the bike, and yet the world champion did not disappoint, finishing the race in an admirable seventh place and beating some big names.
No doubt, he will improve henceforth and perhaps yet create some fireworks this year.
Acosta Adapts, Binder Fights
In third place, behind Bezzecchi’s Aprilia, was KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who is adapting well to the new orange machine. For 2025, KTM designed a machine with a different philosophy that requires it to be ridden smoothly with the wheels inline. Young Acosta, who is still coming to terms with MotoGP bikes, has made easy work of this adaptation. His teammate has had less success so far.
Brad Binder’s strength, since he was winning in Moto3, has been his ability to brake very hard and very late into corners, often with the motorcycle bucking, weaving and sliding in the process. The problem is that this style is the exact opposite of what the new KTM requires. When Binder attempts his late brake weaving style, instead of skidding sideways as bikes have done in the past, it locks the front wheel. Anyone who has ever locked a front wheel on a motorcycle can attest to how great a problem this is. For us mere mortals, it means instant death. For someone with the talents of Binder, it’s merely an annoyance. A non-fatal annoyance, but an annoyance that means he cannot pull off his signature stopping manoeuvres, manoeuvres he’s spent the past five years honing, and is now being expected to completely revise his riding style.
It seems a touch unfair, and it’s showing – Binder had a lacklustre weekend, qualifying 19th on the grid after a series of bad practice performances. But this is Brad Binder, and you discount him at your risk. In the main race, despite his motorcycle woes, he wrestled his bike through the field, eventually finishing eighth on the timesheets, making up 11 places.
Looking Ahead
Acosta’s podiums mean that the KTM is capable of running towards the front. All that is needed is unlocking the style it requires. MotoGP now heads into its summer break and will return in Austria on the weekend of 15 August. Brad has remained positive and optimistic throughout his struggles, a superpower on par with his braking abilities. He will no doubt spend the European summer working on how to better ride this new KTM. Perhaps South Africans are in for a celebratory second half of the season.