Brad Binder on differences between now and 2023: ‘Set-up was on another planet’
Brad Binder says the set-up used to begin the 2023 season ‘was on another planet’.
Despite winning two MotoGP sprints early on in 2023, Brad Binder says KTM struggled to find their feet initially.
Binder recorded two second place finishes during last weekend’s 2024 season-opener in Qatar, showing once again why he’s feared among his rivals.
The only rider able to consistently challenge Ducati, Binder proved that he and KTM are here to stay this season.
But that wasn’t the feeling he had when starting last season, as Binder admitted there were some difficulties to overcome.
Speaking on the OMG MotoGP podcast, Binder said: “The beginning of last year was really tricky for us to be honest. Purely because in 2022 our bike was very stable and we barely changed anything.
“There weren’t really any updates that came during the season, but the second we got to 23 we got a new bike, new aero, a little bit of a different engine and everything was so new and different.
“The set-up we started using was on another planet compared to what we’re used to. It took so much time to settle in and figure these things out and really start to take advantage of the new package.
“I think the first time we saw that we were really competitive was with Jack in Portimao. The first race he was super fast.
“That gave us a lot of confidence. Leaving that test we were still very unsure of where we were.
“All of a sudden we made a good step before the first race and they brough an update and our biggest negative was reduced a lot less. It made our life a lot better and we were on the pace.”
Sharing the factory KTM garage with Jack Miller for a second season in succession in 2024, Binder was keen to point out that the atmosphere created has been a big help to pushing the project forward.
As has been data sharing, not just between himself and Miller, but between the Red Bull KTM outfit and GASGAS.
“Jack is a really good mate of mine,” began Binder. “Coming from Australia and me South Africa, I think we have a lot in common.
“I think things are similar in those [two countries] even though they are so far apart. I’ve always got on well with him and it’s awesome sharing a box with him.
“We are constantly checking data between everybody. It’s basically open for all. Between GASGAS and KTM there is always something to learn from every rider.
“We check through all the data, check through which corner each rider is doing well, where we can improve, where our weak points are.
“It’s the best way to have it to be honest. It keeps things going forward for us.”
