At Red Bull KTM, the arrival of Pedro Acosta as an undisputed phenomenon and the spectacular strengthening of the Tech3 team for 2025, with Enea Bastianini and Maverick Viñales, caused a sensation. With a duo bringing together 15 MotoGP victories within the French team, the pressure has increased a notch. Meanwhile, Jack Miller and Augusto Fernandez were let go, leaving Brad Binder to face new challenges. Hubert Trunkenpolz, key figure at KTM, wants to be reassuring.
Despite a solid 2023 season with a 4th place in the world championship and a 2nd place for KTM in the ranking of manufacturers, Brad Binder is having a more difficult 2024 season. Currently 7th in the general classification, he sees Peter Acosta, his rookie colleague, ahead of him with 101 points against his 85. This contrasts with the expectations of KTM who hoped to see Binder fight for the world title this year.
Hubert TrunkenpolzOn GP One, however, tempers the situation: “ Brad really had no luck this year. There were so many little things that went wrong with him... But we don't let a driver down in a situation like this. We know Binder is extremely fast and can win MotoGP races. He has demonstrated it many times with us and in the 3 Grand Prix categories. At the moment, something doesn't technically add up with Brad, but we have to help him a little with the bike. We went in a direction with his bike that helped him on the traction side but didn't give him the feel at the limit »
« We will rebuild Brad Binder's KTM before Assen »
Hubert Trunkenpolz continues: “ Monday's test at Mugello would have been very important for him. We're going to work with Brad to get him back to having a bike that he feels comfortable on and is fast. The bike moves at the limit. So we are going to rebuild his KTM before Assen. We are confident that Brad will then be able to win MotoGP races at any time »
He adds : " Pedro Acosta is undoubtedly an immense talent, but that doesn't mean we're giving up on Brad Binder. We haven't often seen the true potential of Brad Binder in 2024. His current 7th place in the world championship is not a reflection of his true abilities. Brad has had 3 incidents of bad luck this season, otherwise he would still be 4th in the world championship. This is where it should be. But such discussions are not useful because we really want to lead the world championship and not settle for 4th place. Winning is our ambition, and we are clearly working towards it »
KTM remains determined to support Brad Binder despite the challenges of this season and the rise of new talents like Peter Acosta. The reconstruction of the KTM de Binder before Assen will be a key step to regain competitiveness and aim for victory.
