SPIELBERG, Austria – Opting to stick with slicks despite a deluge of rain with three laps left, Brad Binder emerged as the winner of Sunday’s MotoGP event at the Red Bull Ring.
Running sixth with a few laps left as the rain that had been teasing riders all afternoon finally intensified, all of the riders in front of him peeled into the pits with three laps left to swap to their wet weather bikes. Binder, however, decided to risk it and stayed out on slick tires as the rain continued to fall.
The move paid off as Binder took the checkered flag in the rain nearly 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Francesco Bagnaia, who was among the lead riders who had stopped to swap bikes in the final laps of the race.Â
Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin followed Bagnaia back through the field to take the final spot on the podium. Defending MotoGP champion Joan Mir took fourth on wet tires, followed by two of the slick tire riders in Luca Marini and Iker Lecuona.
Fabio Quartararo was seventh ahead of Valentino Rossi, Alex Marquez and Aleix Espargaro.