‘A lot of sleepless nights’ – Where Binder/KTM need to do better
KTM clearly has work to do on the technical side of its MotoGP project – but Brad Binder isn’t shying away from playing his part
KTM rider Brad Binder says he’s going into the 2022 MotoGP season with two very clear goals – to improve not just the RC16 machine, which struggled badly in 2021, but also to improve himself more than he has managed to so far in the premier class.
Binder’s progress has been hard to analyse as the Austrian manufacturer disappointed last year. Looking like it was going to start the season potentially with title potential given its exceptional 2020 and Miguel Olivera’s promotion to factory status, KTM fell far short of that – and both Oliveira and Binder spent the year somewhat adrift.
But, with testing about to commence next week in Malaysia, Binder is adamant that they don’t need to fix much to be fast – and even shares the optimism of his team-mate that the solution might not lie with new parts but within the current machine.
“On the bike side,” the South African explained at the team’s launch, “I’d really like to see a little more traction – that would be great!
“If we could spin a little bit less on the exit of corners it would go a long way for us.
“The two key points are the stopping, and what happens as soon as I crack the throttle, to try and not spin straight away, to try and keep that traction a little longer and get better drive off the corners.
“Especially in the low gears, we just didn’t accelerate well, not because we didn’t have the power, we just didn’t have the grip.
“Our engine is incredible; I think we probably have one of the quickest engines on the grid. But when you come from low speed and there’s a lot of torque going to the rear tyre, it wasn’t hooking up as well as it needed to. And of course, once the spin starts, it doesn’t stop, and we weren’t getting out of the corners.
“I know in testing, from what I’ve heard, they’ve found some small things that will help. We’re not 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 a lap a little better it’ll add up to quite a bit of time. We just need a small improvement in that area to go a long way.”
On the other hand, he’s adamant that not all the work that needs to happen will take place in KTM’s race department back in Mattighofen – but that there’s still changes that he too needs to make as he continues to adapt himself correctly to the MotoGP bike even as he enters his third season.
“As a rider,” he explained, “there’s always things that you can improve, and in the second half of the season it got to the point where it almost felt like we had got a little bit stuck. We were almost searching for the same thing all the second half of the season – we just weren’t getting from corner to corner quick enough.
“It’s always good once you’ve had an off-season because it gives you time to understand where you really need to improve. It’s not just on the bike side, but maybe more on my riding, because that’s when you really have time to study and analyse and understand things.
“A point where I can definitely improve in is keeping my lines a little bit tighter. Over a lap, I definitely make a few too many metres, and I’m not as tight on the inside of corners.
“That’s one thing to improve. There’s a lot for me to still improve but that’s one thing that comes to mind right away.”
That might come as something of a surprise given his reputation as a quick learner – something earned in dramatic style when he took his and KTM’s first-ever MotoGP victory in only his third ever race at Brno in 2020.
But, also sharing a reputation as a Sunday specialist who sometimes struggles to get up to speed ahead of the main event – and as a result often hinders himself with poor qualifying positions – Binder admits this is another major area of focus.
“I can tell you that it’s given me a lot of sleepless nights in the past,” Binder joked. “You don’t sleep so well on a Saturday when you’re starting at the back.
“When I look back at the first half of last season compared to the second half, I think I made an improvement. Not much, but there was something there. I need another step for Friday and Saturday now.
“I think I’ve improved on Saturday, but on Friday I still wasn’t quite good. As I learn the bike more, as I get more comfortable and understand a MotoGP bike more, I go faster, so I’m hoping that my third season will sort that out more.
“Sometimes for me it seems to take a little bit longer to get up to speed than I would like. The main thing is that the points are on a Sunday, and luckily it’s not the other way around.
“Being strong on a Friday and Saturday would definitely make my life a little easier and put me in a better position when the lights go out on a Sunday.”
