Brad Binder has been tipped for fight the Ducatis for the MotoGP championship, despite his KTM laggin🙈g behind in one particular area.

Binder - fourth in last year’s championship ও- finished the Qatar MotoGP second, the only non-Ducati rider in🐲 the top seven.

His KTM has a major advantage over the Ducati but also 🌸suffers with a key weakness.

Asked if KTM could propel Binder into a tit🥀le challenge, Michael Laverty said on TNT Sports: “Yes, 100%.

“For the KTM to blow past the Ducati 𝓰on the straight hﷺere? That’s an advantage.

“It does seem like they’re getting off the cornersಌ better than they did last y⭕ear. They are turning well.

“We couldn’t see where they were losing time but Brad will know w🔴hat he💟’s missing.

“Whether it’s grip or turning?🌄 My money is on acceleration.

“The first bit off the corner, that’s where Ducati do so well. With a really long bike which lowers so well with their lowering device, and a torque management system which is docile down low. It doesn🌃’t make sense but it punches with the usable aero from the Ducati.

“KTM have made inroads on that, over the winter, but 🌸there’s a little way to go yet.”

Binder finished second in both the s🌌print and the gra🌱nd prix at the first round of 2024.

He♓ edged Pramac’s Jorge Martin in their battle to finish behind Francesco Bagnaia in ꧃the main race.

“Two second plac💟es to start the season is f🐭antastic,” Binder reacted.

“I’m much happier with the second place of tod🐻ay compared 💮to the second place of yesterday.

“Yest🙈erday I felt we ♒were missing something but today it was much better. I knew today was going to be a super difficult race because we are super hard on the rear tyre sometimes.

“I needed to get it to the end so I was as clean as I could be. It was hard to stay composed beca♈use ༒I could see Pecco was just there.

“It was like a carrot dangling and you just want to go ♋for it. But I knew that if I attempted to push I might catch up a bit but I would lose a couple of seconds in the last few laps.

“I had t⭕o be really clever. It was awe🃏some battling Jorge and I had a lot of fun. Let’s see if we can improve a bit because it would be awesome to give these boys a fight next time around.”