Brad Binder Fights Assen MotoGP Tyre Pressure Penalty

Brad Binder lost a ninth-place finish in Sunday's Assen MotoGP due to a post-race tyre pressure penalty. The Red Bull KTM rider's front tyre pressure was one lap short of reaching the 15 out of 26 laps required above the specified minimum.

What happened?

Binder felt his Assen MotoGP tyre pressure penalty was “unfair” after a track limits message stopped him from monitoring his dashboard.

The South African rider's dashboard was obscured by a track limits warning, preventing him from seeing whether he was inside the limit.

Riders at risk of failing to meet the required number of 'legal' race laps can try to closely follow a rival, letting them pass if needed, to raise their tyre pressure.

Why it matters for Brad Binder

“I finished ninth, but they said I had a front tyre pressure [investigation],” Binder said after the race. However, the last message he had on his dashboard was one lap and it was in.

What comes next?

The standard 16-second post-race penalty was confirmed, dropping him to eleventh place. Yamaha wildcard Augusto Fernandez also received a post-race tyre pressure penalty, with his front tyre two laps short of the legal minimum.

And the penalty had a significant impact on Binder's final standing. The South African added: “I'm going to go there now, because it's wrong! You can't give me a penalty when they send me a message so it takes away our tools to know where we are.”

Binder’s rear tyre pressure was comfortably above the 15-lap threshold, at 23 laps. But the front tyre pressure penalty cost him a better finish. So he will look to improve his performance in the next race.

The guys made his bike better for today; it was much more stable. He could push a bit harder. But he needs more speed... And a little bit more pressure.