In the heat of battle, blood runs thick.
Marc and Alex Marquez have been bound by name but divided by ambition. Their sibling rivalry has unfolded in tyre smoke and sparks, with both riders leaving everything on the track, including a lot of rubber, as they continue to duel for supremacy.
Ducati is all but set to have another dominant season, as they currently occupy the first five spots in the MotoGP world riders' championship, as if it were their birthright. And while they continue to enjoy their time at the summit, Red Bull KTM are walking a harsher path, with their early challenge in the 2025 season has been hampered by inconsistency.
They have endured a winless, podium-less start to the season and as they head to the Spanish MotoGP this coming weekend, they seemingly only have hope that they will be able to sort out some of their shortfalls and start launching a comeback to rescue what is shaping up to be a shambles of a season for them.
The Austrian team seems to have lost ground, when compared to the progress they showed last season. Both their Factory and Tech3 teams are currently outside the Top 10 in the riders' standings, with rookie Pedro Acosta in 11th with 24 points and South Africa's Brad Binder close behind in 12th two points shy. They are the top performers for the outfit so far.
It is a disappointing start to the season, especially when considering where Binder and Co should have been.
The 29-year-old ended the 2024 season as the highest-ranked KTM rider in fifth place, in a season dominated by the Ducati. It is a feat he also achieved in the 2023 season, going one better in fourth place in yet another Top 5 weighing heavily towards the Ducati.
The team has not been able to repeat that form so far this season. They have only made the podium once thanks to Tech3 rider Maverick Vinales second place in Qatar. They would lose that place, too, after a 16-second penalty for a tire infringement was added.
Outside of that, none of their riders have won a race or even made the podium places. KTM entered self-administration late last year and next season could potentially be their last in the sport, as they look to restructure their business.
That uncertainty has certainly shown on track.
The team’s struggles were not helped by this past weekend’s performance, with the factory team only managing to pick up eleven points from both the sprint and Sunday’s race, as both Binder (three) and Pedro Acosta (eight) continued to find it hard to keep up with the front runners.
The South African rider, who has been known for his exploits on raceday, has yet to get his season started, with his best finish at the Argentine GP in seventh place.
Between the two riders, it has been Acosta's RC16 that has shown a lot more performance, and he has out-qualifying his veteran teammate in all four races so far his season.
The Spanish rider has, however, not made an impression in any of the races, with his best finishes two eighth places in Argentina and Qatar, respectively.
Heading to Spain, the team will feed off Vinales performance, hoping that it a the turning point for them this season, but at the moment it is looking pretty grim for Binder and Co.