Brad Binder’s KTM team aiming for nothing less than MotoGP title this season

MOTORSPORT/ With the South African joined by new teammate Jack Miller, the ambitious outfit says it is no longer enough to just ‘be there’

For the fourth consecutive year, South African Brad Binder will be one of the factory KTM RC16 riders in the Austrian brand’s MotoGP bid for success.

The 27-year-old, who scored KTM’s maiden MotoGP victory in the Czech Republic in 2020, was KTM’s highest-ranked rider in 2022 with sixth position in the standings, and podium results at the opening Grand Prix of the year in Qatar and the closer in Valencia.

Now nine seasons in the Red Bull KTM family (previously in the Moto3 and Moto2 categories), Binder is recognised as one of the most determined racers on the MotoGP grid.

After finishing second in the team championship last year, the KTM factory team has its sights on winning the rider’s title in 2023. Team manager Francesco Guidotti said last year’s achievement was a good starting point but this year the goal is to win the title and finish every race in the top five.

Guidotti praised Binder’s ability to get the maximum possible from races no matter his qualifying position.

“Binder showed us that everything is possible, and with a little step from the bike he can really achieve something important in every race,” said Guidotti.

Binder, who won the 2016 Moto3 title, is joined this season by Australian Jack Miller who moves from Ducati to take over Miguel Oliviera’s KTM seat.

WORLD CHAMPION

KTM have taken seven MotoGP wins, 18 podium appearances and three pole positions since entering the premier class in 2017.

Binder, who races with the number 33 as it resembles his “BB” initials, is the third motorcycle grand prix world champion from SA. Jon Ekerold won the 350cc title in 1980 as a privateer when he defeated the Kawasaki factory racing team rider Anton Mang. Kork Ballington won the 350cc and 250cc titles in the 1978 and 1979 seasons.

Binder began his motorsport career in karts and moved on to two wheels at age 10. After rapid progress he was accepted into the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for 2009.

In 2011 Binder started his Grand Prix career in the 125cc class riding an Aprilia, and the next year joined Kalex KTM in Moto3.

He joined the Red Bull KTM Ajo team in 2015, ending the year sixth and scoring four podiums, including a second place in Malaysia.

The South African took his first Moto3 victory in Jerez in 2016 and scored another four wins en route to the 2016 Moto3 title.

In 2017 Brad stepped up to the Moto2 class with KTM Ajo, achieving three podiums on the way to eighth place in the riders’ standings despite having an injury and being forced to miss a few rounds.

In 2018, Binder improved with three wins and consistent points finishes to achieve third in the championship. In 2019, after a difficult start to the season for KTM with the new Triumph engine, Binder took five wins and nine podiums to finish in second place, just three points off champion Álex Márquez.

HOME VICTORY

After promotion to MotoGP with the Red Bull KTM factory team in 2020, he scored his first victory in the third round, at the Czech Republic’s Brno circuit. This was also KTM’s first race win in the premier class.

In 2021 KTM had a rough start but Binder scored four topfive placings and achieved a surprise home track victory for KTM at the Austrian MotoGP when, with five laps remaining and rain beginning to fall, he took the chance of finishing the race on slicks while most other leading riders chose to pit and swap to wet tyres.

In 2022 he started off the year with second place in Qatar and was a consistent top 10 finisher, with a reputation to perform better in race trim than in qualifying trim. He was second in Japan for his second podium finish of the season and finished the season sixth overall.

“It has felt like a long off-season already so I’m more than excited to get back to the track and to get started again,” said Binder before the 2023 season.

“My fourth year in the class, and I feel like our best chance so far to really achieve something will be in 2023. We’re ready to go, so let’s get to Sepang and see what those first days bring us.”

Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports director, said: “We are going into our seventh season but I feel the six previous years were amazing in terms of building the project to this level and already having these wins and podiums in the pocket.

“Now it is not enough to just ‘be there’ any more and be a good, organised team; we need results. I feel super confident with the two boys we have on board.”

The 2023 MotoGP season has 21 races and begins on March 24-26 at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal after two preseason tests on February 10-12 (Malaysia) and March 11-12 (Portugal).

A change to the MotoGP format in 2023 sees the introduction of sprint races on the Saturday of every round. These will be half-distance races with halfpoints on offer and will have no bearing on the starting grid for the main grand prix.