Brad Binder has raised the bar for himself and KTM ahead of 2021 season

South African rider Brad Binder gave Red Bull KTM Factory Racing their first premier class win at the 2020 Czech Grand Prix and went on to claim MotoGP’s Rookie of the Year honour.

Aside from his win, Binder showed that he could rein in his aggressive tendencies and put in consistent performances, but his ten falls in 2020, the same number as teammate Pol Espargaro, could point to him being considered the team’s number two rider for the campaign. Binder suffered ten falls through the 2020 season, less than fellow rookies Iker Lecuona (11) and Alex Marquez (14).

Binder has a new teammate

Miguel Oliveira more than earned his place in the KTM works team after a brilliant season in which he claimed two wins for French KTM satellite team Tech 3.

Binder’s battle with his teammate might very well be his focus for the 2021 season and the first step to proving that he and KTM are championship contenders.

Number 33 outdid the other rookies in 2020 but was put in the shade by his teammate, Espargaro. The Spaniard didn’t win a Grand Prix but found greater consistency than Binder claiming five podiums in the coronavirus-hit season.

Espargaro is off to Honda in 2021, replacing the younger of the Marquez brothers at the team in the hopes of mounting a genuine challenge for the title this year.

Suzuki Ecstar’s sensational 2020 performance should serve to embolden KTM and the rest of the field and see them adjust expectations.

A year ago the prospect of Red Bull winning a Grand Prix might have seemed far-fetched let alone the chances of the Austrian team actually factoring in the championship shake-up, but Binder’s breakthrough in Brno has changed the face of the sport.  

While Marc Marquez is expected to be back in the field after a 2020 season beset by injuries, it is quite possible that the highly unpredictable MotoGP campaign of the last year could be repeated this term.

If that does happen, there is no reason that Binder and teammate Oliveira couldn’t push KTM into uncharted territory.

KTM ahead of schedule in long-term plan

KTM’s ascension has been rapid and although the bags of money brought by Red Bull have helped, their smart recruitment has them well-positioned for the next few years.

That doesn’t mean that Binder can rest on his laurels and there will be little opportunity to reflect before they need to apply themselves to the fresh challenges of 2021. In a sport that fittingly moves forward at lightning speed, failing to make progress will see teams and riders effectively move backwards.