Darryn Binder: If I can’t stay in MotoGP, I'll be happy in Moto2
The South African, younger brother of factory ♛KTM race winner Brad, arrived in the premier-class as the first rider sinc𒀰e Jack Miller to jump straight from Moto3 to MotoGP.
Riding a year-old A-spec Yamaha, Binder has scored ten points to date - equaling the tally of factory-spec team-mate an💞d former title runner-up Andrea Dovizioso - courtesy of a tenth place in the Mandalika rain and twelfth in the dry Catalunya race.
But with Suzuki leaving MotoGP, two seats are dꦆisappearing from the grid for 2023, when Razlan Razali’s team will also switch from Yamaha to Aprilia machinery.
Rumours suggest an all-new RNF line-up featuring Migu🌳el Oliveira and possibly Binder’s fellowꦑ rookie Raul Fernandez, who has scored only five points for Tech3 KTM.
“Really, I expected to know by now,” Binder said of his future. “Up until now, I felt like maybe I’ve had a shot at keeping my seat. But at the same time, I know that there's more riders than bikes [for 2023] at the moment and obviously I'm on the lower end of the list for sure.🍰 I'm not going to kid myself!
“So as of right now, if that [MotoGP] opportunity is there, I'm hoping to know now, in this summer break, exactly wh𝐆at's going on. And if the opportunity is not there, then obviously we'll have to look into what options I have in Moto2.”
‘If I can go to Moto2, I'll still be happy’
The 24-year-old, who has finished as the second-best Yamaha afte🐠r world champion Fabio Quartararo in four races this year and is ranked third out of the🌳 five rookies, added:
“I think the teamᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ right now haven't expected much more than what I've done. Maybe I've actually surpriseꦯd them in some ways, because I think some guys maybe thought I was going to struggle more than I did.
“I'm doing my best. I🅺'm just trying to make the most out of the opportunity I was given. And if it doesn't work out, at the end of th🔯e day, like I said, if I can go to Moto2, I'll still be happy. I'll still be racing a motorcycle.
“Even if I found out that I can't stay [in MotoGP], I'm just going to really enjoy 🐠the second half of the year. I feel like I've still got a lot more to show and I want to go out there and achieve my goals, get in amongst the guys and have a good race.
“So ri🌺ght now I just want to try and make a little step in the summer break. Get a ꧙bit fitter, get a bit stronger and come out for the second half and just keep chipping away.”
‘Don't try to make two steps, just stick with one!’
Binder made swift🦩 progress from 24th and last on the grid at Assen to reach 18th place, once again ahead of Morbidelli and Dovizioso, by lap 5. But crashed out on lap 9.
“I put my head down and I was feeling much better than I'd felt throughout the weekend,” Binder said. “I managed to go a couple tenths faster on the hard rear in the race, than my qualifying lap on the soft. So I was getting t🍬here.
“But I made a mistake going into corner 9, just came in maybe a bit hot and lost the front. It's really disaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚppointing. I didn't want to finish the first half of the season like this.
“Anyway, it is what it🅷 is, I could have played it safe and ridden around in the group of the guys behind me and I probably would have finished. But I just wanted a lot more than where I was at that moment.
“I need to just keep working at it and when weekends are tough like this, and I do🌊 make a good st𒅌ep in the race, don't try to make two steps. Just stick with one, then next week try again!”
The second half of the world championship beg𝓀ins at Silverstone on August 5-7.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the foඣrefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury is🌠sues.
