Darryn Binder

Darryn Binder became the first rider since Jack Miller to jump straight from Moto3 to MotoGP after signing with Yamaha for the new satellite RNF team in 2022.

The South African inherited the place vacated by Valentino Rossi, became team-mate to Andrea Dovizioso and joined older brother and KTM MotoGP winner Brad in the premier class.

While Miller battled for the 2014 Moto3 title before moving straight to MotoGP in the now defunct Open category, Binder, 23, finished seventh in the 2021 Moto3 world championship with just two podiums for SRT (both at the Qatar season openers).

On the other hand, Binder had plenty of grand prix experience and was older than 2021 MotoGP champion Fabio Quartararo, for example.

Riding a year-old M1 - while Dovizioso, plus Monster Yamaha riders Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli had the latest factory-spec - Binder calmed scepticism over his suitability for MotoGP by gradually building up his pace during the pre-season.

The South African then shocked with tenth place in the rain at round two in Mandalika, passing many of the established riders that had cast doubt on his MotoGP deal in the process and putting him top of the early rookie standings, 5 clear of reigning Moto2 champion Remy Gardner, with the likes of Marco Bezzecchi, Fabio di Giannantonio and Raul Fernandez yet to score.

Although Binder only made two more points appearances - 12th in Catalunya and then 14th in Australia, by which time he knew he would be without a seat for 2023 - Binder turned heads by battling with the likes of Dovizioso and Morbidelli.

Indeed, former triple title runner-up Dovizioso had scored just five points more than Binder when he called it a day after Misano in September, with Cal Crutchlow then taking over and equalling Binder's best of 12th in the dry.

The South African also became known for some impressive opening-lap charges, although excitement got the better of him in six of the final eleven rounds and he finished the year with the most crashes of any premier-class rider during 2022 Grand Prix events.

Binder's 2023 MotoGP prospects weren't helped by the loss of Suzuki, cutting the grid down to 22 places, as well as RNF's switch from Yamaha to Aprilia.

He will now aim to use his MotoGP knowledge to fight at the front of Moto2 with the Intact GP team in 2023.

Binder made his grand prix debut in Moto3 back in 2015.

A first podium came in 2018, during an otherwise disappointing year at the same factory Red Bull KTM Ajo team brother Brad won the title with, before Darryn set about rebuilding his career with CIP, culminating in his only Grand Prix race victory in 2019.

That led to the SRT Moto3 chance and while seventh was his best yet championship ranking, the expected title attack never materialised. Nonetheless, he was in the right place at the right time for the surprise MotoGP chance.