Brad Binder’s blunt KTM assessment: “More issues than expected; easy to crash”

Brad Binder has admitted that some of KTM’s problems this year were unforeseen but has insisted their struggles won’t last much longer.

The manufacturer entered the 2024 MotoGP expected to establish themselves as the closest rival to the dominant Ducatis, but have instead been overtaken by Aprilia.

Tech3’s Pedro Acosta has shone even brighter than factory star man Binder, but even the teenage prodigy’s form has dipped at recent rounds.

“We started off the year well, that was great,” Binder said about his podium finish at the season-opening Qatar MotoGP.

“But, after that, we ran into more issues than we expected.

“We’ve had a really up and down season so far. At some points it has looked like it’ll be really good but we ran into trouble that we didn’t expect.

“Last year, for us, was a lot easier. Even on a weekend where things weren’t going well we were able to fight for a podium whether it be a sprint race or the main race. We were there.

“Now it seems, even if things aren’t going great for us, it’s difficult to crack the top five.

“We’ve been playing with a fine line with the front of our bike. It seems, if you stay on the bike, you can go really fast. But it’s really easy to crash, with the front. That’s our biggest challenge.

“We have found some margin in some areas. At the same time, you lose in others.

“At the moment our ultimate set up, to go as fast as we can, leaves us with very little warning in the front. It’s easy to crash.

“As things don’t look amazing at the moment, it’s not as bad as it seems. We are small changes away from getting our results back.

“We strive to achieve. We want to be up front. Nobody wants to be where we are, at the moment.

“It’s frustrating for myself, my crew, the management. None of us are happy where we are.

“The only positive is that we won’t be there for long, because nobody wants to be there.

“I’m excited for what’s to come. We have a fire burning in us.”

Binder pinpoints Acosta's key skill

Le Mans and Catalunya were notable for Binder’s unexpected crashes.

Binder finished fourth in the MotoGP championship last season, the highest-placed non-Ducati rider with five podium finishes.

This year after nine rounds he is seventh, a place behind Acosta.

Acosta has already done enough for KTM to confirm him as Binder’s factory teammate next season, replacing Jack Miller.

Binder said about the brilliant Acosta: “From the first test in Valencia, we saw he rides incredibly well.

“He’s a super talented guy. It’s been a good reference for us because he comes in fresh, without expectation or an idea of how things were the year before.

“Even though we have challenges at the moment, he pushes it to the limit, and he does incredibly well.

“One thing he does really well is that he doesn’t put a lot of pressure on the front brake to stop the bike. He’s good at keeping the bike under control.

“This is a point that myself and my team need to improve! I’m always the guy on one wheel going into the corners!”

'One rider from Ducati, one from Aprilia'

Binder and Acosta will be joined under the KTM umbrella next season by the new-look duo of Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini.

Tech3’s Vinales and Bastianini will receive factory-spec bikes and the same support as Binder and Acosta. On paper, it is a formidable quartet.

“Most interesting for me, as one of the riders, is that they’ve taken one rider from Ducati and one from Aprilia,” Binder said.

“It gives us a much clearer indication of what our bike does well, and what it needs to improve.

“Only myself and Pedro have ridden a KTM. If you’ve ridden for other manufacturers, you have a more rounded idea of what to expect coming in, and what your references are.”

Binder is contracted to KTM until the end of 2026, among the longest commitments of any rider in MotoGP.

Despite a season which has not yet lived up to 2023, he remains committed.

“My focus is to be with KTM and to achieve our goal, which is to fight for a title,” he said.

“This is my 10th season with the factory team. Together, we have achieved many things.

“We need to top this off. We need to fight for a title in MotoGP. That’s my goal and what KTM want to achieve.”