Johannesburg - Brad Binder might have finished 2022 on a high, but on reflection the Red Bull KTM rider will no doubt feel that this MotoGP season came to an unfulfilled and disappointing end.
There was certainly a tinge of that melancholy in his post-race comments at the season-ending Valencia on Sunday, where he finished second to bag his third podium of the year. Previously, Binder had claimed second-place finishes at the season-opening Qatar GP and another in Japan in September.
“I am really happy to be back on the podium,” said Binder afterward. “This weekend I came with the mindset I had to win and it didn’t quite work out but (race winner) Alex (Rins) rode really well (Sunday).
“I have to take my hat off to the team, I have the most amazing crew behind me. There are some crazy and incredible people at KTM.
THAT’S P2 FOR BRADICAL!! 🚀![CDATA[]]>🎉
— Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (@KTM_Racing) November 6, 2022
What a way to end the season, @BradBinder_33!#ValenciaGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/Q0rvzfM4hp
“We’ve had some great times this season and some really hard times too but we have always managed to give our absolute best come race day. It’s good to be top six in the championship, for sure.
“We made a step this weekend because I had been requesting some more drive grip and the guys brought it for this race. I really hope for the 2023 season we can find that last little bit to be competitive every weekend.
“We fought hard (Sunday) and made some moves. Let’s see what Tuesday (testing) brings us.”
At the beginning of the race calendar, the 27-year-old Binder expressed a belief that he and the team would be pushing for those top three finishes every race day, an eventuality which did not wholly materialise.
Instead, the team found itself in a mid-field scrap far too often, crucially missing that extra bit of pace to make them real contenders. They can, however, be quite chuffed regarding their reliability and consistency.
Of the 18 races, Binder finished in the top 10 on 14 occasions and only retired once. Departing teammate Miguel Oliveira had a similar season, albeit a little bit tougher – he retired twice, and finished outside of the top 10 on eight occasions.
The Portuguese-rider, however, claimed the only victories for KTM in 2022 – in Indonesia and Thailand.
It ensured that KTM took a step up in the constructors’ standings, while finishing an impressive second in the team standings, just behind Ducati Lenovo – which also produced the world riders’ champion in Francesco Bagnaia.
Binder would also finish this season in sixth in the riders’ standings – the same as last season – slightly improving on his points’ tally of 188 – 37 points more than what he achieved in 2021.
Meanwhile, it was a poor debut season for Brad’s younger brother, Darryn.
The 24-year-old made little impact on the proceedings this year on his WithU Yamaha RNF bike, and will subsequently drop back down to Moto2 next year. Darryn’s best finish was a 10th-place in the rain affected Indonesia race, and the rookie finished with a paltry 12 points for his efforts.
Of course, it was not entirely his fault.
Although his inexperience counted massively against him, and his sudden promotion from Moto3 into the elite category did not help either, his team failed to make any inroads into the season, finishing 11th out 12 teams this year.
Next year, Darryn will race for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact in the second tier division - a step-back in category for sure but perhaps the right decision for his career.
IOL Sport