Binder long lap: "I didn't understand the rule properly"

After fighting from tenth to second after a strong opening lap in the Sprint, Binder’s chances of a Sunday repeat were all but over when he was sent wide by contact from Alex Marquez.

16th at the end of the lap, the South African was up to eighth by the middle stages - helped by accidents ahead - and closing on team-mate Jack Miller as the final ten laps began.

But as he got within reach of the Australian, Binder straight-lined a chicane. The #33 then thought he had given up the one-second required to avoid a penalty, only to receive a long lap.

• Alex Marquez penalised for Binder, Zarco incident
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• Francesco Bagnaia “didn’t like the reaction” but “not angry with Maverick Vinales”

“I took a really good slipstream from Jack and braked a little bit later than I normally would. I didn't want to take the chance to crash, so I went a little bit straight over the chicane,” Binder said.

“I thought I lost a second… So that was a mistake on my behalf. I should have made sure.”

Binder explained that the reason for the mix-up was that he had gauged losing one-second relative to Miller, rather than his own average time through that sector.

“It looked like more than a second to me, but I didn't take it off my own lap time. I took Jack as my reference,” he said.

“I judged my one second off the move I was trying to make, so my gap to Jack. And it's not, it's off your average sector time. I didn't understand the rule properly.

“So that was my mistake. I'll learn for the future.

“The long lap took me completely out of contention. But anyway it is what it is.”

After dropping back behind Fabio Quartararo for ninth, Binder gained three places in the final four laps when he repassed the Yamaha rider, then Miller and Marc Marquez fell.

“Warm up was really quick and I was happy [ahead of the race]. But when you drop back to 20th place on the first lap, it's difficult,” Binder said.

“When you're behind people and the front tyre cooks, you can't do much. It's really, really difficult to get past people because you just don't have that margin on the edge anymore.

“I wanted to make moves as quickly as I could, but I also didn't want to mess it up because I didn't have a great feeling with the front.

“I tried my best. I managed to get back up through the field, pass a lot of people, and unfortunately, I messed up [with the penalty] on the back straight.”

Nonetheless, with Francesco Bagnaia crashing out after an early tangle with Maverick Vinales, Binder is now only 13 points from the title leader, with Sunday’s winner Marco Bezzecchi in-between.

“I feel sorry for [Bagnaia] because I'm sure he didn't want his Sunday to go the way it did,” Binder said. “It seemed coming from the back I had a full view of every incident today, just about. Bit of a chaotic race, but it is what it is.

"The racing's tight… Let's see. Makes it interesting.”

Alex Marquez later received a grid penalty for the opening lap contact with Binder, which also 'disturbed' Johann Zarco.