MotoGP’s under-pressure rookie “doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone”

The South African is the rookie under the most scrutiny having made the jump straight from Moto3 in 2022 backed by a reputation for overly aggressive riding in the lightweight class.  

Binder’s riding came under fire from fellow rookie Remy Gardner in Qatar, with the Tech3 rider saying Binder was a “disaster” in their battle for 15th.  

In the wet Indonesian GP, Binder came from 23rd on the grid to finish 10th in his first wet-weather MotoGP race.  

When asked if he felt like this result helped prove some doubters wrong, Binder said: “At the end I was battling with the guys, but by no means do I feel like I was out of control or in any way dirty.  

“The closest I came to contact was when my brother swooped up the inside and I got a bit of a fright.  

“But I felt like I was riding quite reasonably well and I had to keep in mind things from Qatar, when I was passing these guys I was like ‘Now’s not the time to make silly mistakes’ because there were a lot of big names I was trying to pass and I was like ‘if I make a mistake, I’m going to get nailed again’.  

“So, it was definitely in my mind but at the same time I feel like everyone was battling hard and at the end of the day it’s a race.  

“You’re trying to do the best you can. I raced as hard as I could.  

“Like you said, it’s not going to be this easy to fight for good results so for sure I was trying to do my best.  

“10th is better than nothing for sure and I’m happy with how things went. 

Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Darryn Binder, RNF MotoGP Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I don’t really have anything to prove to anyone, at the end of the day.  

“I’ve been given this opportunity and I’m trying to make the most of it, trying to do the best as I can when I’m out there.” 

Binder’s older brother Brad finished ahead of the RNF rider in eighth on the factory KTM, which he said was “like a win” as his bike’s ride height device broke and meant his RC16 was stuck in a low position.  

“I’m a bit disappointed because I felt good all weekend, especially on the wet tyres and after the start my ride height device, something happened,” Brad Binder said.  

“Every time I’d brake it would come up, I’d turn and go to brake and it would drop down again. 

“So, I did the whole race with the ride height device completely down.  

“And considering I finished eighth I think it’s a win because if it was a dry race I wouldn’t have been able to do anything.”