Brad Binder scored two second places in the 2023 Austrian MotoGP weekend across both the Sprint and main race, and so expectations were✨ high for KTM’s home race in 2024.

KTM also arrived to the Red Bull Ring this year having testeꦏd with both Dani Pedrosa and Pol Espargaro at the Spielberg circuit during the summer break.

However, the RC16 ultimately proved incapable of matching the Ducati Demsosedici over the course of a race, even the 2023🌸 version of the Bologna bike in the case of Marc Marquez, who finished fourth after dropping to 14th at the start.

“I think in general they have to be disap⛄pointed,” Alex Lowes told TNT Sports. “ It’s their home, it’s their track, 🧔they’ve done a lot of testing here, [but] Ducati were a clear, big step in front.”

ꦐTNT pundit and ex-MotoGP racer Michael Laverty felt that the performance of the Desmosedici was also having a mental impact on Binder, who end🌞ed up as the leading KTM on Sunday despite starting 12th.

“[Binder’s] a racer, and it is a little disheartening for every൲one when they look at the strength of the Ducati GP24,” Laverty sཧaid. 

“One thing we know about KTM𝔉, they’re winners, and they don’t look at that as a negative, they look at that gap and they’re just setting their sights on how to reduce that margin, how to be ready in 2025. 

"Whether it’s aerodynamics, engine development, they’ll be just addressing every single compon🎃ent.”

For Laverty, it’s a case of time for KTM to find the improvements needed to cha꧂llenge Ducꦇati.

“Ducati haven’t got much margin to improve,” he said. “They always find something, obviously, but KTM have the budget, they’ܫve got the knowhow, it just takes time.

“They’re still rꦏelatively new, still not 10-years-old as a MotoGP factory in this championship, so they’re stil𝐆l improving all the time.

“This is Ducati’s [22nd] season in this championship, and they had a big lull before they came [to the position they’re in now], so they deserve their time in the sun r💛ight now.”