Brad Binder achieved his best MotoGP result in 2023, finishing the season in fourth place in the overall standings, albeit 174 points behind Francesco Bagnaia. Although he achieved two Sprint victories, success in the long race narrowly eluded him on a couple of occasions.
After declaring that the 2023 RC16 was the best KTM he had ever ridden, the South African ended the season with some frustration: “I'm not really satisfied, to be honest,” he said when asked if it was happy with the results obtained in 2023. “I expected much more this season. I feel like I was capable of doing a lot more this season, but I made a lot of mistakes and threw away a lot of opportunities.”
“But ok, it's life, it can happen. With this new format it seems like everyone has made a lot of mistakes. But I can't wait to start again next season. We have this period to build, understand and grow, trying to find small improvements in each area. I think if we can do that, we can come back next season with everything we need to fight for some victories,” continues the KTM rider.
Binder was on the verge of winning the last race of the season in Valencia, but a long run while in the lead dropped him to fourth. However, due to a penalty to Fabio Di Giannantonio he recovered a position, effectively finishing third. Two podiums at Assen eluded him due to the penalty imposed for exceeding the track limits on the last lap, while in the German GP he was third before crashing.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Asked by Autosport/Motorsport.com if he believes his mistakes were due to the fact that he pushed harder because this KTM offered more, he replied: “Not really. I mean, to be honest, when you give it your all, whether you're fighting for first place or tenth, you can make mistakes.”
“This year, at times, instead of accepting some limits, I always tried to push a little too much and I hit my face. So, it wasn't ideal. But like I said, I think we can learn a lot from this season. I have to say that my team and KTM have made an incredible step forward compared to last year,” continues Binder.
The KTM rider then already begins to set goals for next year: “We certainly have to take another step forward to stay in the game, because everything continues to grow. But it's exciting. One of the joys of life is always trying to improve. I know I can take a step forward on my part. So if they do the same I can be in a better situation next year.”
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