KTM’s new MotoGP team manager has a “no bulls**t policy”
“He’s super straightforward, easy to talk to”
Brad Binder has welcomed Aki Ajo as KTM’s factory racing MotoGP team manager because the Finn has a “no bullshit policy”.
Ajo has a long association with KTM running its factory efforts in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes, with the likes of Marc Marquez, Binder and Pedro Acosta coming through his teams on their way to MotoGP.
Binder won the 2016 Moto3 crown with Ajo Motorsport and was a title contender in Moto2 with the Finn’s team before his MotoGP debut in 2020.
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Ajo replaces Francesco Guidotti as the factory squad’s team manager for 2025, something Binder is excited about because of the former’s no-nonsense approach.
“Honestly, with Aki it’s really cool for me because obviously I spent several years with him already in Moto3 and Moto2,” Binder said following KTM’s 2025 launch event.
“And I really like his style of the way he does things.
“For me, he’s super straightforward, easy to talk to whenever you think something’s right or wrong or what’s going on.
“With Aki, there’s always a no bullshit policy, so you know whatever he says is the truth and nothing else. It’s gonna be really cool, I’m looking forward to it.”
Binder ended the 2024 season sixth in the standings as the top KTM rider, though only managed a pair of podiums back at the opening round of the campaign in Qatar.
The South African noted that his tendency was to push harder when things weren’t working out, but understands this is an approach that he needs to change for 2025.
“For me, I think it happened a few times in my career where I’ve wanted a lot more than maybe I’ve gotten at the time,” Binder added.
“And when things are not going my way, the thing that I always try to do is try harder.
“And last year trying harder clearly didn’t work because I felt like I spent more time on my head than on the bike at the beginning of the year.
“So, it was a bit of a learning curve for me for sure and now I understand a lot more about how to handle things if things aren’t going as well as I hope.”
