WATCH: Brad Binder knows he can make a bigger impact in MotoGP in 2022

Johannesburg - Brad Binder did not reach the heights expected of him in 2021, but the Red Bull KTM rider has no doubts that this year, team and rider will have a much bigger impact on the MotoGP season.

The race calendar starts this weekend with the Qatar Grand Prix, and with a decent pre-season in south-east Asia behind them, Binder and Co are confident that their start to the season will be much better than what transpired this time last year.

Then, the KTMs battled to make any sustained headway around the Losail International Circuit - Binder finished 14, while teammate Miguel Oliveira placed one spot ahead. A week later, while completing a double-header at the track, Binder and Oliveira finished eight and 15th, respectively.

It was not, Binder admitted then and a point he reiterated this past week in an interview with Independent Media, the glorious start that the team had envisioned. 2022 could be quite different.

“Qatar last year,” the 26-year-old explained, “and there are no other words for it, it was a disaster. It was literally terrible.

“No matter what we did or what we changed, we were right at the back of the field. Honestly, when I think back to the performances we had there, it was actually one of my best races of the year – the second Qatar (the Doha GP) – because we were so slow compared to the other guys, that in the race I managed to be so consistent that I still finished in eight ...

“As a track, I do enjoy it and I honestly believe with our new base, it is much more suited to Qatar; whereas our old one, it wasn’t a bike that wasn’t very good at rolling, keeping corner speed and turning without front-brake pressure. Now, with the new base, we are able to ride a lot cleaner and will be able to keep that