KTM will field the Jack Miller-Brad Binder line-up for the 2022 MotoGP season. The two riders are neighbors in Andorra.
About Luigi Ciamburro de Motoracing
Brad Binder concluded his third season in MotoGP. A victory in the first year, another in 2021, and three podiums in the championship which has just ended. The KTM rider of 27 years did not climb to the highest step of the podium in 2022, but he demonstrated a consistency of performance bringing him to 6th place in the general classification. A good omen for the next World Championship, for which he will be joined by the newcomer Jack Miller.
Miguel Oliveira won twice this year, both times in wet conditions, finishing only 10th in the standings. Brad Binder, for his part, has always been on the podium in the dry: in Qatar, Japan and Valencia. The weak point of the RC16 and the South African was the qualifications, forcing him to a total of 96 overtakes in 20 races. Staggering figures which attest to a potential waiting to explode. A lot is in the hands of the Mattighofen-based company, which places every piece of the technical puzzle in the right place.
The arrival ofAlberto Giribuola will make a significant contribution after his previous experience at Ducati. " I like to think it's just a matter of time ", said Binder at 'Autosport'. “ KTM has everything we need. We know what we need to work on for next season ».
The 2022 MotoGP season mainly served to indicate the direction to take during this winter break. We will no longer generally work on all areas of RC16. “ Everything we try is much more oriented towards solving a problem, let's see if it works or not ". The primary objective is to progress in qualifying to start from the front of the grid and get closer to the podium area. KTM looking for the last step to try to raise the bar. “ Sixth place isn't bad, but it's not where we want to be. I believe we can do better ».
Miller: “Binder est mon cher ami"
During the last outing in Valencia, the eldest of Binder finished with an excellent second place, after a close challenge with Pecco Bagnaia et fabio quartararo. « I had braking problems and I didn't have a good feeling in the corners. To overtake, I had to brake a little later, but I didn't want to hit either Fabio or Pecco. Even though I passed both, I wasted a lot of time ».
During the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, Brad Binder will share the box with Jack Miller. “His character and humor are similar to mine, and the culture is very similar to Australia ", the former Ducati rider told Speedweek.com. “ Apparently, Brad is my opposite, but if you get to know him better, he's more like me than you think. I think we will have a good relationship ».
A good internal battle is looming between the two at KTM to find out who will be the brand's best driver. There are no gray clouds on the horizon. “ We spend a lot of time together in Andorra because Brad lives only 600 meters from me - added Miller -. We meet regularly for a few beers and talk about anything and everything together. This is my dear friend. Having this working relationship with him will be good for the future ».
