Binder: Engine maps can make ‘very big difference’, longest race run 12 laps

Darryn Binder is aiming to pick up his speed on day-two of the official MotoGP test at Sepang after finishing 25th. 

The South African, who finished all three days of the Shakedown test inside the top 10, was half a second off team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, while 2.4s down on the fastest time set by Aleix Espargaro. 

Part of Binder’s focus during the test was to complete a race run, which he said lasted 12 laps during the final day of the Shakedown, while a soft tyre qualifying run which has not yet been attempted could come during Sunday’s action. 

"So today was obviously a good start after two days' rest. You feel good, your body has recovered, so it was good to jump straight into it again," said Binder. 

"I felt like I kinda picked up where I left off on the Shakedown test and carried on working in similar areas, just trying to learn a little bit of the electronics and the different switches and the maps. 

"Today we spent a lot of time doing that, also working on the race tyres with the mediums and whatever. We did a little bit of a longer run on them and tried to figure out what works best for the used tyres. 

"Obviously at the end of the day I would have liked to improve a bit more. When the temperatures came down I would have liked to go a bit faster. But anyway, I still went a little bit quicker than the last day and I feel like we worked pretty hard today. 

"I made some important improvements during the medium. Overall it was a good day. Every lap counts and I’m happy with today. For the race simulation the longest run I’ve done is 12 laps. I did a 12 lap run at the end of day three of the Shakedown." 

During said race run, Binder started out with a full fuel tank in order to assess how the M1 Yamaha behaves, something we often saw Maverick Vinales struggle with during his time aboard a Yamaha machine.

Binder added: "I started with a full fuel tank and rode for 12 laps. I obviously got to understand a little bit what the bike is like with a full fuel tank, how the tyres slowly drop, understand how you can have a bit more power at the beginning and then change the maps to have a little bit less power for the end. 

"We haven’t done a full race sim yet and after three days I wasn’t physically in the best way. After three days I was pretty tired so that 12 laps was enough. 

"Right now with my pace being quite slow it’s fairly easy to do a 12 lap run and be pretty constant. It’s not that hard to be constantly slow. 

"Once we improve a bit and get our single lap speed a bit higher then we can focus more on getting the rhythm closer to that. As of right now I feel my pace isn’t bad but it’s obviously because I’m not that fast yet. 

"For the qualifying simulation I’m not 100% sure if we’re going to try a proper one tomorrow, but I’d assume that we might do something similar. Maybe do two runs on a soft tyre or something like that." 

In terms of engine mapping which is key in the modern day MotoGP, Binder can already tell the difference it can have despite riding for just four days. 

The former seven-year Moto3 veteran said the size of changes can turn a bike that’s near unrideable into a ‘really smooth’ one.

"I’ll tell you what… those switches depending on what’s in them, but there can be a very big difference," added the RNF Yamaha rider. "They can make a bike that’s an absolute beast to hang on to and that kills you in five laps to a bike that’s really smooth and you can ride for 20 laps. 

"It makes a very big difference and I think that’s an important part to understand. Especially, like you say, I want to make it my bike but at the same time I need to understand what I need. 

"Obviously never working with these electronics before. It's about understanding where it’s spinning, when it’s spinning and what I can explain to them to try and help me. 

"I think the most important thing is to get the power down without spinning, without the bike moving and without the bike being super hard to ride. If it’s so hard to ride you’re not going to make a race distance and when the tyre drops you’re really going to struggle. 

"Step by step we’ve been playing with the electronics but I still have a lot to learn. Even though we’re halfway through testing I’m still only climbing into it now."