“Binder’s Failure to Embrace KTM MotoGP Bike’s Potential in 2023”
Brad Binder Reflects on Frustrating MotoGP Season
In the world of MotoGP, South African rider Brad Binder had a mix of highs and lows in the 2023 championship. While securing his best result with a fourth-place finish, he found himself trailing behind Francesco Bagnaia by a whopping 174 points. Despite two sprint wins under his belt, Binder narrowly missed out on a grand prix victory on multiple occasions.
A Season of Missed Opportunities for Binder
Throughout the season, it became clear that luck was not always on Binder’s side. In one race, he declared KTM’s RC16 as the best bike he had ever ridden but ended up feeling frustrated at the end of the season. When asked about his satisfaction with his achievements in 2023, he confessed that he expected much more from himself and acknowledged making several costly mistakes that squandered numerous opportunities.
Nevertheless, Binder looks forward to starting afresh in the upcoming season and is determined to make significant improvements across all areas. He believes that by focusing on small enhancements and learning from past experiences, both he and his team can come back stronger next year to challenge for victories.
Binder came close to clinching victory at the Valencia Grand Prix finale before an unfortunate off-track incident while leading dropped him down to fourth place. However, due to Fabio Di Giannantonio’s penalty post-race, Binder was promoted to third position. On other occasions, track-limits penalties cost him potential podium finishes at Assen Grand Prix while crashing out during Germany GP when running third. When questioned if pushing harder due to KTM’s improved performance contributed to these errors, Binder dismissed this notion. Instead, he admitted sometimes exceeding limitations and pushing too far resulted in costly mistakes. Nevertheless, Binder acknowledges the incredible progress made by his team and KTM compared to the previous year. Moving forward, he sees the need for further improvement to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving MotoGP landscape. Despite the challenges, Binder remains excited about constantly striving for improvement and is confident that with continued growth on both his side and KTM’s part, success will be within reach next season.