South Africa’s Brad Binder wins third Moto3 race in a row

Brad Binder’s Moto3 season just keeps getting better and better, as the South African won his third race in a row this weekend.

Binder’s latest victory came at the sweeping Mugello circuit in Italy, following a seesaw battle between the top group of riders. The race routinely saw riders go from outside the podium to first and vice-versa over the course of a lap, the long main straight delivering ideal conditions for slipstreaming and late braking.

The South African ultimately clinched the win by 0.03 seconds from Italy’s own Fabio di Giannantonio. In fact, the top five were separated by a mere 0.07 seconds, a testament to the closely fought fight for the win.

Binder’s championship hopes were also helped by title contenders Roman Fenati and Jorge Navarro retiring during the course of the race. Front-running Fenati was first to go after suffering a broken chain, while Navarro was out after a collision.

The victory means that Binder is 49 points clear of Navarro in the championship, equating to almost two race wins (race winners get 25 points).

The hat-trick of wins also makes Binder the first South African to win three or more in a row since Kork Ballington in the 250cc class in 1979. Binder’s previous wins came at Le Mans in France and at Jerez in Spain.

Feature image: MotoGP.com