Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/671116
MOTOGP MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 / APRIL 24, 2016 JEREZ CIRCUIT / JEREZ, SPAIN P80 MOTO3 RACE History was made in Moto3, and not just because a rank rookie had qualified on pole, and seized a fighting second place finish. Sky VR46 rider Nicolo Bulega's achievement, and it was a great one, paled by comparison with what relative veteran Brad Binder managed. The 20-year-old South African Red Bull KTM rider had qualified second, but at the very last minute was pushed to the back of the grid as punishment for a team technical infringement (inadvertently using non-homol- ogated software). Lucky to survive the usual mayhem in the early laps, Binder then surged through a big midfield battle. Before 10 laps were done he was at the front of the gang, in fourth. Four seconds ahead, Bulega, Aspar Mahindra's Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Navarro (EG-VDS Honda) had been locked in combat, Navarro making the most of the running. Binder had set fastest lap fourth time around. Had he used his tires up? The hunt-down was compelling and remorseless. It took Binder just seven more laps to catch the trio. Four more, and he was in front, and pulling steadily way for a truly memorable career first win. The last person to win from last on the grid was Marc Marquez, in Moto2 in 2012 at Valencia. "I knew I could still do it even if I started last," said Binder. "All weekend I worked hard on used tires, and I had a good rhythm, though I knew the first few laps would be hard." The three-way brawl behind went to the flag, changing constantly. They all piled into the final hairpin almost abreast. Rookie Bulega was toughest and on the inside, Navarro was pushed wide, and Bagnaia slipped into the last podium slot. Second to fourth was covered by less than two tenths. Another 10 seconds down, a huge brawl was gradually whittled down, with Jakub Kornfeil (M7 KTM) coming through at the end to take fifth ahead of Leopard KTM's Joan Mir, Romano Fenati (Sky VR46 KTM), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Honda), Jules Danilo (Ongetta Honda), Philipp Oettl (Schedl KTM) and Andrea Migno (Sky VR46 KTM), all within 1.1 seconds. Binder extends his title lead over Navarro 77 to62; with Fenati (47). Bulega (36) and Bagnaia (34) complet- ing the top five. Qatar winner Antonelli now sixth after a second straight zero score. History made! Binder is the first South African to win a Grand Prix since Jon Ekerold in 1981. Redding (45) had one of the worst rides of his MotoGP career, finishing last behind the Hondas of Miller (43) and Rabat.