The atmospheric ‘stadium-setting’ of the Ricardo Tormo circuit made a welcome return to MotoGP after a year away from the series. The 4km, largely flat layout is a very familiar track for the entire Grand Prix grid and provided 14 low-grip and winding corners as a stage for the 22nd fixture of the campaign.
Brad Binder missed out on Q2 direct entry by just 0.056 of a second and eventually qualified 15th.
Brad made a great start in the Sprint, and entered the top ten to finally secure P8 at the finish line.
The 2025 curtain-closer begins at 14.00 CET on Sunday for the last 27 laps of the season.
Brad Binder 15th in qualification, 8th in the Sprint: “I really need to improve qualifying and get better in the one-lap time attacks! It’s what I’m missing at the moment. The pace wasn’t disgusting in the race; I could pass a few dudes and get forwards. I think tomorrow in the long race we’ll stand even more chance of passing a few more. That’s my goal: to make a strong finish for the 2025 season.”
What South African Cross Country Moto Final Preview Where The Carousel, Northwest Provence When 14-15 November 2025 Community South Africa National
Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing chasing titles at National finals
Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop heads to the Carousel resort near Hammanskraal in the Northwest for the South African Cross Country motorcycle championship finals. But it’s not leaving anything to gamble at the 11-12 November race. With three of its Juniors leading their title chases and most of the Seniors on the podium or thereabouts, the focus is purely on racing this weekend.
“We’ve enjoyed a brilliant first season in blue on our first season with Yamaha and arrive at the National Finals with three of our riders leading their championships and several others still very much in the chase,” Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing team boss Harry Grobler explains. “Our Juniors are leading all three titles and we are ahead in that Manufacturer’s chase too. Several of seniors in the Seniors are in with a shout too, so this is going to be one hell of a weekend!”
Twice on the National Open class podium so far this season and fourth in that championship chase, Maddy Malan will be after overall honours. He has Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha YZ 450 FX teammates, the consistent Hayden Louw on his case in fifth with Slade Smith sixth in OR1.
Shimwells man Marco Cocci sits second with a decent chance of the Seniors title with Everest Wealth Ridgeway racer Gerhard Vorster third. Race winner Warrick van Schalkwyk is looking to bounce back in the Masters. And Tyron Beverley will be keen to do the team proud after a trying 2025 250 cc OR3 campaign.
Everest Wealth Ridgeway Racing Yamaha’s strength in this year’s Nationals chase however sits in the junior ranks. Murray Smith has won three times and ended second once in the four 125 cc High School rounds to lead the way to the Carousel. 85 cc Seniors lad Ruald Potgieter also leads that chase with three out of the four wins and Ryan Wichman remains unbeaten in the 65 cc Juniors.
Yamaha meantime leads the National Junior Manufacturer’s Championship and sits second in the National Senior Manufacturer’s chase. “It is patently clear why the Carousel is a huge weekend for Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop,” Harry Grobler concludes. “So best of luck to all our riders and the entire support crew for best results all-round!”
*Everest Wealth Ridgeway Yamaha Racing dilutes its partners Tork Craft, Henderson Racing Products, Dunlop Tyres, Motul, Bikewise, USWE, Cycra and 515 Racing.
Maddy MalanMurray SmithYamaha ahead! Ruald Potgieter
Brad Binder scorched to P5 after a dramatic rush through the 25-lap Grand Prix. The South African rode to his second top five finish of the year and helped slot two KTM RC16s at near the peak of the rankings.
A mercurial Brad, hot off the starting grid, joined teammate Acosta near the front of the race who was eager to make ground and show more of his pace potential by moving to P6. Brad engaged in a busy fight for the top five and sealed the placing for his second highest result of the season.
The Valencian Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit will drop the curtain on the championship next weekend. Acosta has confirmed a top five finish in 2025 but still has the chance to snare P4.
KTM hold 3rd in the Constructors standings while Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are 4th in the Teams contest and Red Bull KTM Tech3 hold 9th.
Brad Binder 5th and 11th in the championship standings:
“Happy with the job today. I felt I could do something decent after the Sprint and the confidence I had. I felt great on the bike and my guys did a great job. I was able to get a good start and push on right away. It was nice to battle a bit and good also that the changes we made gives a direction for what we need further.”
The penultimate Saturday of the 2025 MotoGP season passed in fine style for Red Bull KTM, who saw three KTM RC16s in the top ten after 12 laps of the undulating course in southern Europe. Brad Binder made another charge to score points with P9 and a recovery from 14th on the grid.
The Sprint benefited from the positive climate and fully dry asphalt. Brad was strong in the opening laps to invade the top ten and was then busy in a four-rider dispute. The South African classified 9th one place ahead of Espargaro who maintained a decent pace and was part of the same persistent pack.
The Grand Prix will begin at 13.00 local time (14.00 CET) and for 25 laps of the AIC.
Brad Binder 14th in qualification, 9th in the Sprint:
“Not too bad. I felt better than I have all weekend. I made up a few places but not as many as I’d like. A bit too late…but we have the main race tomorrow and if we can find a bit more rear contact and more balance then we can make good improvements that will take us a long way.”
“I’m very disappointed on how it went today, our race finished way too soon. It’s a pity because I started well and in a few turns I had already recovered 7 positions, when I crashed and unluckily we haven’t been able to restart the race. Now we’ll fly home to reset and be ready for the last two races of the season”.
