"Give some credit" demand for MotoGP's top non-Ducati rider
"Everyone loves him, not just because of his results but also because of his personality"
KTM MotoGP test rider Pol Espargaro believes “we need to give some credit” to Brad Binder’s 2024 season even if it didn’t feature many standout results.
Binder has been a darling of the KTM stable since his title winning year in Moto3 in 2016, with the South African fighting for championships in Moto2 and winning in MotoGP just three races into his career.
He has also finished as top KTM rider in the standings since 2021 and has been top non-Ducati runner in the championship two years in a row.
Binder only scored two podiums across the 20-round 2024 campaign, both of them coming in the opening weekend of the season in Qatar, but consistent top eight results ensured he finished fifth in the standings.
He ended up two points clear of KTM stablemate Pedro Acosta, who achieved nine podiums across sprints and grands prix in his rookie season.
Espargaro, who has been serving as an official KTM test rider in 2024, says Binder’s consistency is something hard to achieve in the modern MotoGP era and deserves a lot of credit.
“The most difficult thing in MotoGP is to stay consistent on the results,” Espargaro told MotoGP’s world feed during the Barcelona test.
“Even if you have an amazing talent, like Brad is - he’s a serious guy. I was talking to someone, talking about that, how serious Brad is.
“Having Brad on the team, you know he’s always going to give 100%.
“He’s not gonna surrender ever. This is something that is amazing because he showed it during the year.
“For sure it was not the best year with the best podiums. Also, we need to recognise that KTM was not at the level to perform as we wished.
“But he kept pushing, pushing, and he was fighting for the top five in the championship, which is amazing.
“Even in a season where you are not matching everything perfectly, to be top five in the championship is just amazing.
“So, we need to give some credit to Brad. Brad is a hard worker, he’s super humble.
“He is a very good guy to do team building. Everyone loves him, not just because of his results but also because of his personality and this is something that is very difficult to find.”
Binder remains with the factory KTM squad until the end of 2026, with Acosta joining him next year for his sophomore season.
