Brad Binder (born 11 August 1995) is a South African
Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He is most-known for winning the
2016 Moto3 World Championship. In November 2019 he was confirmed as
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
History Development of the RC16
KTM have a well established presence amongst off-road motorcycle ...
rider in
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
class for
the 2020 season,
[KTM 2020 shake-up: Binder to factory MotoGP team, Lecuona Tech3](_blank)
crash.net, 24 October 2019, Retrieved 21 November 2019 replacing
Johann Zarco
Johann Zarco (born 16 July 1990) is a French Grand Prix motorcycle racer, best known for winning the and Moto2 World Championships with his 2015 triumph being a record points total for the intermediate class. He rides for Pramac Racing.
Zarc ...
who had abandoned his factory ride earlier during that year.
Previously, he had competed in the Moto2 class during 2019, with the Ajo KTM team,
finishing the championship in second place. Prior to moving up into Grand Prix level, Binder contested three seasons of the
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a motorcycle racing series contested by young, up-and-coming motorcycle riders, who have not had experience in a motorcycle grand prix previously. The class was founded in 2007, and since then a number of the ro ...
, with a best finish of fifth overall in the championship standings.
At the
2016 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix in Jerez, Binder became the first South African to win a motorcycle Grand Prix since
Jon Ekerold
Jonathan "Jon" Ekerold (born 8 October 1946) is a South African former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ekerold is one of the few racers in the modern era to have won a world championship as a ...
won the 350 cc class at the
1981 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix. From
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, Binder raced in the Moto2 class having agreed to a deal with
Ajo Motorsport
Ajo Motorsport is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing team, currently competing in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes under the name Red Bull KTM Ajo and in the MotoE class under the name Avant Ajo MotoE. The team's founder and principal is former r ...
.
Binder's younger brother
Darryn is also a motorcycle racer, and competed alongside Binder in Moto3 in both 2015 and 2016.
Binder became the first South African to win a
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
championship race at the
2020 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2020 Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix was the fourth round of the 2020 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and the third round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship. It was held at the Masaryk Circuit in Brno on 9 August 2020. Fabio Qu ...
, also becoming the first rider to win with
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
in the premier class, as well as being the first rookie to win in MotoGP since
Marc Márquez
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a Spanish professional Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer, who has raced for Honda Racing Corporation, Honda's Repsol Honda, factory team since his MotoGP ...
at the
2013 Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas.
Career
Early career
He began his motorsports career in go-kartin
in 2003. In 2005 he switched to two wheels, immediately winning several titles in the 50cc, 125cc and 150cc categories. In 2008 he made his international debut, competing in the Aprilia Superteens Series, a British competition. In his first race he finished in second place, but in the second race he crashed. In 2009 he raced in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup finishing 14th, in 2010 he finished 5th, and in 2011 he finished 7th.
125cc/Moto3 World Championship
RW Racing GP (2011–2012)
Binder started his Grand Prix career in the 125cc class riding an
Aprilia
Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded immediately after World War II in Noale, Italy, by Alberto Beggio. The company started as a manufacturer of bicycles and moved on to manufacture scooters and small-capacity motorcycles. ...
for
RW Racing GP
RW Racing GP is a motorcycle racing team founded by businessman Roelof Waninge from The Netherlands. The team competes in the Moto2 World Championship.
History
Roelof Waninge, was owner of a Dutch network of commercial vehicle dealerships a ...
in the
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
season with his bike number as 14. Binder finished the season pointless, with his best position being a 17th place in Indianapolis.
In 2012, he switched to the
Kalex
Kalex Engineering is a German specialty engineering company that designs, manufactures and sells high-performance parts for motorcycles. Kalex Engineering was founded in 2008 in the Bavarian city of Bobingen, Germany by Klaus Hirsekorn and Alex ...
KTM
KTM AG (Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, formerly KTM Sportmotorcycle AG) is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and sports car manufacturer owned by Pierer Mobility AG and the Indian manufacturer Bajaj Auto. It was formed in 1992 but traces ...
with his bike number changed to 41. Binder's first Moto3 point came at the
2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix
The 2012 Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix was the third round of the 2012 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 4–6 May 2012 at the Autódromo do Estoril located in Estoril, Portugal.
Classification MotoGP
Moto2 ...
. 2012 was a crash-filled season for Binder, with seven crashes. Binder scored four times in the season, with his best result of fourth place coming in Valencia. He finished the season at 21st place with 24 points.
Abrogio Racing (2013–2014)
In
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
Binder switched from Kalex KTM to
Suter Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
and later to
Mahindra with the team Ambrogio Racing. 2013 was a consistent year for Binder; he scored in 14 out of the 18 races, his best result being a fourth place at Spain; he finished the final standings at 13th place with 66 points. In
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, he improved with 2 podiums to 11th place.
Red Bull KTM Ajo (2015–2016)
In
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
Binder again switched teams to the KTM factory-supported
Ajo Motorsport
Ajo Motorsport is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing team, currently competing in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes under the name Red Bull KTM Ajo and in the MotoE class under the name Avant Ajo MotoE. The team's founder and principal is former r ...
. His first season on the new machine was largely positive with regular points finishes and 4 podiums leading to an overall 6th place finish.
In the
2016 season, he built on this success with 7 wins and 14 podiums en route to his first world championship, with a 142 point margin over 2nd place.
Moto2 World Championship
Red Bull KTM Ajo (2017–2019)
=2017
=
In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, Binder moved up to the Moto2 class, continuing with Red Bull KTM Ajo. In his first season he achieved 3 podiums on the way to 8th place in the riders' standings; despite having an injury and being forced to miss a few rounds.
=2018
=
In
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, Binder improved with 3 wins and consistent points finishes to achieve 3rd place in the championship.
=2019
=
In
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, after a difficult start to the season for KTM with the new
Triumph
The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
engine, Binder took 5 wins and 9 podiums to finish in 2nd place as the best KTM rider, just 3 points off champion
Álex Márquez
Álex Márquez Alentà (born 23 April 1996) is a Grand Prix motorcycle rider from Spain racing for Ducati satellite team Gresini Racing MotoGP. He has competed in MotoGP since the 2020 season, having previously become World Champion in the 2 ...
.
MotoGP World Championship
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2020–present)
=2020
=
Binder made his MotoGP debut with
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
History Development of the RC16
KTM have a well established presence amongst off-road motorcycle ...
team in the
2020 season.
Binder won his first MotoGP race at the third round of the season in Brno. This was also the first race win for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team in the premier class.
=2021
=
Binder, along with KTM, had a rough start to the
2021 season. Despite this, he maintained top ten positions and got into the top 5 four times, with two 5th places at
Portimao and
Mugello
The Mugello is a historic region and valley in northern Tuscany, in Italy, corresponding to the course of the River Sieve. It is located to the north of the city of Florence and includes the northernmost portion of the Metropolitan City of Fl ...
and two 4th place finishes at
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring () is a motorsport racing circuit located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship ...
and
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
.
Binder scored a surprise home track victory for KTM at the
Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix when, with 5 laps remaining and rain beginning to fall, he decided to take the chance of finishing the race on slicks while most other leading riders chose to pit and swap to motorcycles fitted with wet tires. The gamble paid off and despite extremely slick conditions and mostly ineffective brakes due to the wet and cold track surface, he was able to withstand a late charge by
Ducati
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. () is the motorcycle-manufacturing division of Italian company Ducati, headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The company is directly owned by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini, whose German parent company is Au ...
rider
Francesco Bagnaia
Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia (born 14 January 1997) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer competing in MotoGP World Championship, MotoGP for the Ducati Corse, Ducati Lenovo Team. He is the current 2022 MotoGP season, MotoGP World Champion and ...
and win the race.
=2022
=
Binder stayed with
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
History Development of the RC16
KTM have a well established presence amongst off-road motorcycle ...
team for a third consecutive season for the
2022 World Championship. He started off the year with an overachieving 2nd place finish at the
Qatar Grand Prix
The Qatar Grand Prix is a Formula One motor racing event which is held in Qatar. It was held for the first time on 21 November as part of the championship at the Losail International Circuit, and after not taking place during the season due to ...
. From then on, Brad has been a consistent top 10 finisher, with a tendency to perform better in race trim than in qualifying trim, as has been the case with his teammate
Miguel Oliveira
Miguel Ângelo Falcão de Oliveira (; born 4 January 1995) is a Portuguese professional motorcycle racer who competes in the MotoGP World Championship for RNF MotoGP Team, getting the step up from KTM Tech3, . He attained his first ever top 3 qualifying result in MotoGP at the
2022 Japanese Grand Prix, which he followed up with his second podium finish of the season, in 2nd position.
=2023
=
Binder has a contract with
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is the factory team of KTM active in the MotoGP World Championship supported by sponsor, drinks manufacturer Red Bull.
History Development of the RC16
KTM have a well established presence amongst off-road motorcycle ...
for the
2023 World Championship and 2024.
[ ]
Career statistics
Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Races by year
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
CEV Buckler Moto3 Championship
Races by year
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
By season
By class
Races by year
(
key
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
References
External links
*
* (Old website)
* (Current website)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Binder, Brad
1995 births
Living people
South African motorcycle racers
125cc World Championship riders
Moto3 World Championship riders
Moto2 World Championship riders
People from Potchefstroom
KTM Factory Racing MotoGP riders
MotoGP World Championship riders
White South African people