Brad Binder Identifies Big Step KTM Needs To Take Before Attempting To Improve 2025 MotoGP Bike

Saajan Jogia | Dec 29, 2024

Apr 13, 2024; Austin, TX, USA; Brad Binder (33) of South Africa and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rides during practice for the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas at Circuit of The Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Brad Binder claims that KTM must focus on understanding the bigger picture before attempting significant changes to the RC16. He pointed out "tiny" areas needing attention and suggested that fine-tuning these details would be key to "making up the difference" with the 2025 MotoGP bike.

Following last month’s post-season test in Barcelona, Binder acknowledged that KTM has yet to fully address all issues with its 2024 MotoGP bike. Despite signs of progress compared to its predecessor, the team’s future remains uncertain amid financial struggles and rumors of a development freeze for 2025. Although KTM secured second place in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, it trailed a dominant Ducati by a massive 395 points, extending its winless streak for another season.

While rookie Tech3 rider Pedro Acosta delivered an impressive nine podiums, including sprint races, Binder managed only two podium finishes at the season opener in Qatar. When asked if KTM needed a big change for 2025, the South African rider said:

“Well, I think we need big understanding first.

“Once we understand everything, we can then start to make small steps in each area [which] is what we need.

“It’s not necessarily one big step. It’s literally a tiny bit in braking, a tiny bit in turning, a little bit in drive grip.

“And that’s the only way we’re going to make up the difference.”

Binder reflected on a radical change the team had to make to the bike's overall balance, which he feels was caused by Michelin's rear tire. He said:

“I mean, I think this year for some reason we had to really change the balance of our bike and it was always difficult to understand, because when we were playing in our normal windows, our normal area that we change the bike, we weren’t really getting much difference.

“So, we had to do things much more radical to feel the difference.

“So, for sure that took a bit of time. But now late in the season, everything started to make a little bit more sense.

“To be honest, it’s so difficult to say but I just imagine so [that the rear tyre was the cause].

“We all imagine that it’s got more grip. It definitely has more grip. The thing is, no one ever did a back check between the two [2024 and 2023 tyre], so you could never say ‘hey, that’s it’.

“You couldn’t put your hand on fire and say that’s the difference, because one year to the other you come back, you’re so rusty at the beginning that everything feels different.”