’I’m more ready than I’ll ever be’, says Brad Binder who will begin MotoGP rivalry with brother Darren

Johannesburg - This weekend will offer the first glimpse of what to expect from MotoGP 2022 when pre-season starts its engines with testing in Sepang, Malaysia.

It could be quite a special year for South Africa as both the Binder Brothers – the established Brad at Red Bull KTM; and rookie Darryn, racing for WithU Yamaha RNF – will compete in the elite category this year. The test riders have already done a shakedown of the bikes behind doors this week, but Sepang will offer an opportunity for the incumbent pilots to get a feel for their new machines.

Brad, who finished a career best sixth last year in the world riders’ championship, enters this season in his third year in MotoGP and with KTM. Both rider and team will hope that 2022 marks their rise to compete consistently against the perennial front-runners Ducati and Yamaha, while usurping Suzuki and Honda as the next best constructor.

Last year, the team managed two victories - one by Miguel Oliveira at the Catalan GP and another by Brad at a flag-to-flag GP in Austria. KTM had further podiums in Italy and Germany, ultimately finishing fifth in the constructors’ standings – arguably an underwhelming conclusion after much fighting talk ahead of the 2021 season.

ALSO READ: SA’s Brad Binder finishes above ’The Doctor’ in Valentino Rossi’s emotional farewell race

Nevertheless, Brad revealed in a statement this week that the experience gleaned from the last two years should propel him to greater things this season.

Said Brad: “I’ve learnt so much over the last two seasons, it’s difficult just to pick a couple things in particular.

“I think each year has come with its own sets of challenges. In my first I had to manage my expectations a bit. I often wanted too much, too soon