Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder missed out on history by failing to finish in the points in the first MotoGP sprint race at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Saturday evening.
The historic first sprint race, which this season will feature in every race weekend, was won by MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia, followed by Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez.
Binder, who is still recovering after suffering a neck injury on Friday, could only finish 12th after starting the sprint event from 15th on the grid. He was cleared to join the Red Bull KTM team after a scan following two free practice sessions on Friday.
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Miller beamed
The sprint race consisted of 12 laps, with Bagnaia taking 12 points to win. The next eight finishers earned points, with Alex Marquez taking the final point on offer by finishing ninth.
A consolation for Binder at least will be the performance of his new friends Jack Miller, who momentarily jostled in front of the sprint race and ended up in fourth place. The Australian surprisingly spoiled the high-flying Ducati party on Friday by recording the fastest time in the first two free practice sessions.
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Miller qualified fifth, showing that KTM may be doing better this season than previously anticipated.
Brad Binder has everything going for him
Unlike Formula 1, where the result of the sprint race determines the starting grid for the main race, the same starting grid is used for the sprint race and the main race in MotoGP.
This means Binder will have to do it again on Sunday from 15th place on the grid. The first 15 finishers in the MotoGP race get points, the winner gets 25 points in the rider who is 15 single points.
This could mean that if Bagnaia wins Sunday’s main race, he could take an incredible 37 points from his first race weekend of the season. Ducati’s Italian started the season as the favorite to add a second world title to his crown.
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