IN
THE
WIND
P48
Binder Joins Red Bull KTM MotoGP
K
TM has risked upsetting its
own troops with the surprise
announcement that South Afri-
can Brad Binder is to be taken
directly into the factory MotoGP
team next year, the last piece
in the jigsaw that makes up the
2020 grid.
Binder, currently racing for the
factory's Moto2 squad, which is
to cease competition next year,
was already scheduled for a
move to the top class, but with
KTM's Tech3 satellite team.
Now 19-year-old Spaniard
Iker Lecuona will take that slot,
while Binder will join Pol Espar-
garo in the official factory team,
also sponsored by the Austrian
energy drink company.
He takes the seat left vacant
by the early departure of Johann
Zarco, who asked to be released
midway through the first of two
years of contract with KTM.
But the appointment not only
robs Tech3 of a valuable recruit,
but also bypasses another KTM
stalwart Miguel Oliveira, runner
up in Moto2 last year, and al-
ready making a good impression
in his rookie MotoGP season
with a best finish of eighth in
Austria, where he was given the
latest version of the V4 engine
for the first time.
The Portuguese rider was un-
able to hide his disappointment,
talking to the press in Australia,
where he thought that with one
year's MotoGP experience he
would be a more obvious candi-
date to help developing the still
maturing RC16 V4, which is yet
to challenge for top positions.
"I want to look at the KTM
relationship in the long term, and
having chosen a rookie and a
guy the same age as me makes
me feel a bit like I'm not worthy
enough to be there," he said.
KTM had spoken to him at Mi-
sano about using test rider Mika
Kallio in place of Zarco, but not
about his own chances. "I had
no participation in anything," he
told Dorna's TV interviewer.
But KTM team manager Mike
Leitner contradicted the Portu-
guese rider, saying that, in fact,
he had been offered a place in
the factory team, but had said
he preferred to stay in the satel-
lite team with his current crew
chief. "He was the first rider we
asked."
Brad Binder stepped back
from controversy, saying only,
"It's an awesome feeling, and
quite unexpected. KTM have al-
ways looked after me, so I hope
I can do a good job."
Michael Scott
Brad Binder will jump straight to the
factory team in MotoGP.
