Finishing fourth in the MotoGP World Championship, Brad Binder had his best season since joining the premier class. He was the clear spearhead of Red Bull KTM, missing out on only the top spot of the podium in main races.
In a year that was anticipated to bring considerable improvements, the start for the South African wasn’t particularly encouraging: his best result in the first three rounds was sixth place in Portugal, failing to reach the top ten in Argentina and Austin. However, he showcased his abilities in Termas de Río Hondo during the Sprint race, winning from the 15th position on the grid.
The European phase of the season brought a much more solid Binder: from the Spanish GP to the Valencia GP, he missed the top five in only seven out of 17 main races. This sequence of results put him in contention for a podium finish in the championship, but his chances for third place were definitively lost after the Qatar GP.
His first podium of the year came in the Spanish GP, where he won the Sprint race – showing solid proof of being a Saturday specialist – and finished second in the main race. In a press conference reaction, Binder commented: ‘If I could sign for this on Friday when we’re sitting in the Q1, I wouldn’t believe. […]. I can’t believe we’ve had two podiums, we were fighting for the win’.
After coming close to his first win of the year – which never materialized – the KTM rider had to wait until after the summer break to return to the podium in main races. The start of the second half of the season was strong, with two consecutive podium finishes. However, he lost some momentum, with two retirements and a 14th place finish.
The third place in Thailand gave Binder some hope of catching Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team/Ducati) for third place, but his retirement in Malaysia basically ended all possibilities. One round before the end, in Qatar, the South African confirmed his final fourth place… a position he held since the Dutch GP.
With 293 points, achieving his first top five finish in a MotoGP World Championship, Binder undoubtedly had his best season. Nevertheless, he was not entirely satisfied with his performance: ‘To be honest I expected a lot more this season. I feel we were capable of a lot more, but I’ve made a lot of mistakes and I threw away a lot of opportunities. But, OK. I think it’s life, it can happen – it seems with this new format everyone has made a ton of mistakes’.
Binder’s progress has been gradual since his debut in the premier class in 2020. The rider and KTM intend to keep this trajectory. Will 2024 be the year he finally fights for the title? Answers will come starting in March.
Brad Binder’s 2023 season:
GP of Portugal: 12th in Sprint/6th in GP – 8th in championship
GP of Argentina: 1st in Sprint/17th in GP – 8th in championship
GP of the Americas: 5th in Sprint/13th in GP – 9th in championship
GP of Spain: 1st in Sprint/2nd in GP – 3rd in championship
GP of France: 2nd in Sprint/6th in GP – 3rd in championship
GP of Italy: 11th in Sprint/5th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Germany: 6th in Sprint/DNF in GP – 5th in championship
GP of the Netherlands: 5th in Sprint/4th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Great Britain: 9th in Sprint/3rd in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Austria: 2nd in Sprint/2nd in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Catalonia: 4th in Sprint/DNF in GP – 4th in championship
GP of San Marino: 5th in Sprint/14th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of India: 4th in Sprint/4th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Japan: 2nd in Sprint/DNF in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Indonesia: 19th in Sprint/6th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Australia: 4th in GP (no Sprint race) – 4th in championship
GP of Thailand: 2nd in Sprint/3rd in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Malaysia: 5th in Sprint/DNF in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Qatar: 7th in Sprint/5th in GP – 4th in championship
GP of Valencia: 2nd in Sprint/3rd in GP – 4th in championship