At the same time as the short clip of his MotoGP presentation 2024, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing released a video interview of Brad Binder.
This, obviously recorded some time ago (we are talking about 44 races), therefore does not take into account the last tests at Sepang, but takes a certain step back to return to the commitment of the South African driver and his team.
The objective is clearly to do better than the 4th place where he appears in the world championship rankings. MotoGP 2023, for the one who, through his human qualities, his talent and his modesty, appears almost like the ideal son-in-law...
Brad, 11th, 6th, 6th and 4th. So, is 2024 the moment of truth?
“For me, 2024 will be a big season, that’s for sure. As we just said, the trajectory is going up: 11th, 6th, 6th and 4th. So I have no doubt that we will do better than fourth place. Last season was great at times, but extremely difficult, and at other times I felt like we had more left in us, and we could have done better. That's why it's always good to go into the offseason still hungry and wanting to do a lot more. So for me it's great to start 2024 and look forward to getting back on the bike. »
You have been working with KTM for 10 years now: tell us why this relationship has lasted so long. What motivated the creation of this special relationship with the group?
“This is going to be my tenth season racing for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, and it has been an extraordinary journey. You know, we had some great times together, we had some amazing days, some really tough days and some really hot times, but we always stuck together and we always had the same goal in mind. So I think we get along very well. I'm very happy to be where I am, and all I have to do now is try to finish the job in MotoGP. »
How would you say you are different from the 19-year-old Brad of 10 years ago, both personally and professionally?
“Obviously, I think I’ve grown a lot since then. I have a lot more experience today. I understand things a lot better and I think I'm a lot calmer. I understand what I'm doing and how to move quickly, rather than trying to do something crazy and see what happens. You know, if I look back and see where I am today, ten years ago, I think, you know, I would have been super happy if I could have looked into the future at the time, so I'm really happy about that. But like I said, there's still a lot of work to do, so let's try to finish the job. »
You will participate in 44 races next year. Can you tell us how difficult 2023 has been physically and mentally, and do you think the preparation and changes you made last season will help you this year?
“I feel like 2023 was a breakthrough year for us. You know, I think things were very static for us between 2021 and 2022, and then last season we took a big step forward. The bike was much more competitive. We were fighting at the front most weekends, we were always around the battle for the podium and we managed to win a few Sprint races. So I felt like it was a good step forward for us. For me it was clear that we still needed to work on some key areas, but other than that I was really happy because I felt like we were starting to achieve what we wanted. So it was a good thing for us. But I think it's this season that we can make the difference. »
What about you personally, Brad? How difficult was it to adapt to the new Sprint format last year and deal with the expanded schedule this season?
“With our new weekend schedule, it's very important to start strong on Friday morning, because by the time Saturday rolls around, you know you're going to qualify on Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon, you have to be ready to run. I think we did much, much, much better than expected. The Sprint races worked really well for us, whereas I think I started last season thinking that would be the trickiest part. You know, for me, I really like this brand new program. I love racing and would rather race than have a session just to go around and check things out. So I like sprint racing, I like Sprint racing, I'm really happy to have the 44 races, for me it's awesome, that's what I like, that's what I I like to do and I completely agree. »
Can you talk a little bit about the respect you have for the bike, but also for the whole team, the whole group of engineers behind it, because it's obviously a dangerous sport, but they're making something that doesn't is not only competitive, but also durable, reliable, on which you can count? Can you tell us about this part of your profession?
“You know, I think MotoGP or motorcycle racing in general, it's almost a one-man sport when you're on the grid and we're all lined up, but it's a huge effort to team behind the scenes. In the box the guys work to find every little thing, in the factory the guys work tirelessly too, and it's really impressive when you sit back and look at the big picture and see all these things to come, and all the updates, and all the understanding behind it, and why they're doing things. You know, I love my team. I have the most incredible team behind me, and you know, all the guys give their all all the time. We all have the same goal in mind and we are never happy until we are at the top. Unfortunately, that wasn't often the case last season. »
Brad, on the track it's incredibly difficult, it's tight and competitive. How do you maintain the respect of your rivals and the people around you? This must be because you have an enviable lifestyle. The fans see you, they see what you do, they see the rewards it can bring. But how do you still have contact with people so that you can offer them a barbecue or simply hang out with them after the race and chat? What is this dynamic?
“Yes, I don't really worry about it and I don't think about it at all. I consider myself a person who does well on a motorcycle, I'm not bad at riding a motorcycle, but other than that I'm completely normal, like everyone else on the grid. So yeah, I really love what I do, I love MotoGP and I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world to have this job. And other than that, I think I like, like everyone, going out with friends, having a good time, going to a barbecue, spending time with the people that are there. Normal things. »
Is it easy for you to come out of your bubble, to realize what you do for work, what you have for life and what passion? I mean you're sitting there, you feel lucky. Do you have the opportunity to appreciate it and realize it?
“You know, I think sometimes when things don't go the way you want them to on a particular race weekend, it's easy to forget how lucky you are and how grateful you should be doing what I do. You know, I think MotoGP is a dream and you forget that sometimes. Okay, you are where you are now and you want so much more and you continue to fight to get there, but you have come a long way too. And if you look back, as you said earlier, from 10 years ago to today, there's quite a difference. It's true, it's crazy how things can change. Of course, for me there are two types of life. When I'm in Europe and I'm racing, I'm super professional, I do everything extremely well, I try to sleep well, eat well, do everything right. So I find it very important to have two weeks off-season, in December, to rest and do what I want to do, try to completely forget about the bike, and after five or six days, you start to realize how lucky you are to have this job again and you're ready to get back into it because you know it's such an exciting sport and such an exciting life. You know, you train hard, you achieve more, you do something better, you find something new, you know it only gets better and you can keep building from there. So it's something that I really enjoy, and it's a life that's just the real life that I know and enjoy. »
Brad, can you explain to fans who see Q1 and Q2 separated by milliseconds, what it's like to live in those kinds of settings because it's barely comprehensible? And how do you go back to the stand and say I need less than a tenth to be able to take this step? I mean it doesn't seem very understandable...
“For me, when that happened, I don't know how many times in my MotoGP career you come in and you're in 11th position. You just missed the direct pass and you're 0.3 from 1st place, and you know that during the lap you missed the apex or were too long on the brakes in that corner, and you know exactly where is this time. It's true. And you say to yourself, "OK, I could have done it, but here's what I did wrong" and those are the good days. Bad days are when you're riding and you feel like you've done everything perfectly, and suddenly you find yourself in 11th or 12th place. You're looking for that last little bit extra, you know, 0,3 doesn't sound like much, but when you need to do that lap after lap, it's super hard to find. And today in MotoGP, it's crazy how tight things are, and I try not to even look at the screens because when you see the gaps and all that, you know, you have to go faster even if you start your last set of tires, because you can still land in Q1. So you have to improve every session, because everyone does it. For me, the biggest thing I learned this season is that you have to make every turn count and use every opportunity, otherwise there's a good chance it won't go your way. favor. »
Finally, we talked about 10 years of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, but that's quite a career of racing and competition. Where does this instinct come from? Inside you, how does this persist? How can you come back year after year and still have the same desire? This is something quite unusual for most people to understand…
“Competing has been my whole life since I was little. That's all I loved and enjoyed, and that's what I love doing, and especially when you have free time, you realize how much you love it and how much you really want to do it . For me, I really enjoyed the whole process of what I do. I love preseason, I love training, getting on your bike stupid early in the morning and, you know, having a gym session in the afternoon, trying to get the bikes ready to go riding, like all those things , it's something I really like. And yeah, for me it's just about trying to improve, getting a little better, a little better, a little better, to try to reach the end goal, which is obviously to be champion of the world. »
