Brad Binder is on the rise in MotoGP and had his best season to date in 2023, but could 2024 finally mean a (real) assault on the MotoGP title?
In 2020, the year of his promotion to MotoGP, the South African gave KTM its first ever victory in motorcycling’s premier class at Brno, Czech Republic – which you can see here – and in only his third race of the season, but since then he has “only” finished a race as the winner on three more occasions: in 2021 at the Red Bull Ring, in 2023 in the first Sprint race at Termas de Río Hondo and later, also in the Sprint race at Jerez.
Not counting his victories over the last four years, the #33 has 12 more podiums: three second places in 2022, and nine in 2023 divided between the Sprint and the long races, with the shorter races on Saturdays being a “speciality” (and preference) as he has said more than once.
Like Jorge Martín, who made the most of the Sprint races to score a lot of points, Binder will also have a decisive 2024 to try to finish in the top three in the world or even try for the title, as he doesn’t have as much attention and pressure as other riders at the wheel of the Ducati Desmosedici, which could “free” him, in part, from so much attention and allow him to focus more than ever on his goals.
KTM is making great strides towards greater competitiveness and has Binder as its biggest winner in terms of points, and is counting on Jack Miller’s experience to also help evolve the RC16, he who has many years of experience precisely with the bike that has shone the most in the category, and can gradually help its development, complementing the feedback given by Binder.
Another aspect that could be crucial in 2024 is the use of the carbon chassis, which has proved to be a real option in the “armoury” of the Austrian manufacturer, which also has a true genius in its test team, Dani Pedrosa, who together with the contribution of Pol Espargaró could be key elements in the growth of the bike.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but it’s certain that Brad Binder is an element to be taken into account when it comes to the final accounts for MotoGP in 2024, as he appears to be fifth among the favourites to win the World Championship, according to some bookmakers.
In two days’ time you’ll be able to see KTM’s latest update on the track at the Sepang tests from 6 to 8 February.