Two-time MotoGP™ race winner Brad Binder will once again don the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing colours for the 2022 campaign, as the South African hopes his fortunes can improve this season after a tricker than anticipated 2021.
Binder and KTM came into last year off the back of a spectacular season. Binder stunned everyone in the Czech Republic to win just his third premier class race, while KTM won three races in total thanks to Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). So, expectations were high. Ultimately though, despite two victories for the Austrian factory, 2021 didn’t reach the same heights.
Binder’s Austrian Grand Prix victory – in his team’s backyard – will go down as one of the most dramatically spectacular races in MotoGP™ history. But that was the only time Binder tasted podium success. KTM ran into issues that only briefly looked like they’d been ironed out when Oliveira strung a P2, P1, and P2 together in Italy, Barcelona and Germany respectively.
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Speaking to the media after KTM Factory Racing had unveiled their four MotoGP™ machines that will go for glory in 2022, including Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s bikes, Binder delved into some of the struggles he and the factory faced last season. Thus, identifying the areas they’ll be working on improving both on the bike, and his riding.
“I think it’s always good once you’ve had an off season because it gives you time to really understand where it is you need to improve. Not just maybe on the bike side but more on my riding side. You really have time to analyse and understand things,” said Binder.
“On the bike side I would like to see a bit more traction, that would be great. I think if we were to spin a bit less on the exit of corners it would go a long way for us. The two key points I’d like to work on is the stopping, and as soon as I crack the throttle, try not to spin straight away. Try and keep the traction a bit better and get better drive off the corners.
“For me as a rider, a point I can definitely improve on is to try and just to keep my lines a bit tighter. I think over a lap I’m definitely making too many metres, not quite tight enough on the inside of a lot of the corners. That’s one thing I want to improve. There’s a lot still to improve but that’s one thing that comes to mind straight away.”
The 26-year-old then dug deeper into where the bike was struggling in 2021, and why some only small improvements might just make the difference in propelling Binder and his fellow KTM riders to great things in 2022.
“As a rider there’s always a lot of things you can improve and in the second half of the season it got to a point where we were a little bit stuck almost. We were almost searching for the same thing the whole second half of the year, we just weren’t getting from corner to corner fast enough,” continued Binder.
“Especially in the low gears, we just didn’t quite accelerate well. Not because we don’t have the power, we didn’t have the grip. Our engine is incredible, we probably have one of the quickest engines on the grid for sure but when you come from low speed, and there’s a lot of torque going into the rear tyre, we weren’t quite hooking up the way we needed to. And of course when the spin starts it doesn’t stop so we just weren’t getting out the corners.
“I know in testing, the guys, from what I’ve heard from my crew chief, they’ve found some small things that have helped. We aren’t looking for huge amounts of time, we’re looking for small things here and there. If we can get out of three or four corners over a lap a little bit better, it’s going to add up to quite a bit of time so, it’s not huge things we’re looking for. We need small improvements in that area and I think it can go a long way.”
In addition, Binder has also built a reputation of being a “Sunday rider”. The number 33 – more often than not – cuts a quiet figure on the Friday and Saturday timesheets. P6 is Binder’s best qualifying performance in MotoGP™, achieved once in both 2020 and 2021, but Binder turns up the wick on a Sunday afternoon. 10 times Binder has qualified inside the top 10 so far in the premier class, whereas he’s claimed 18 top 10s in races. Being faster out the blocks on a Friday and being quicker on a Saturday are areas Binder is hoping can be enhanced this season.
“Well I can tell you it’s given me a lot of sleepless nights in the past, you don’t sleep so good on Saturday when you’re starting at the back,” admitted Binder. “But yeah, I think when I look back at the first half of last season compared to the second half, I’d say I made an improvement. Not much, but there’s something there. I need another step for Friday and Saturday.
“I think I improved Saturday, still Friday wasn’t very good but Saturday was a little bit better in the second half of the year. So, I think as I learn the bike and do more laps on the MotoGP bike and get more comfortable, I get quicker, faster. I’m hoping maybe my third season will sort that out naturally. But’s let’s see.
“Sometimes for me it seems to take a little longer to get up to speed when I would like. The main thing is the points are on Sunday luckily, luckily it’s not the other way round. Definitely being stronger on Friday and Saturday would put me in a better position and make my life a lot easier when the lights go out on Sunday.”
Pre-season testing in Sepang and Mandalika will give us a good idea of how Binder and KTM are shaping up heading into the new season. There’s no doubt both rider and factory are capable of fighting for a World Championship title, it’s a case of putting the missing pieces in place.