South African riding sensation, Brad Binder has just been announced as a MotoGP rider for the 2020 season. The current KTM Ajo Moto2 rider will make the step up with KTM Tech 3. Binder will ride alongside (and hopefully in front of) teammate Miguel Oliveira.

Click here to read about another young local rider making a name for himself.

No 41, as Binder is known on track, claimed seven wins on his way to the 2016 Moto3 title. In doing so he became South Africa’s first world champion in thirty-six years and just the third of all time. He currently competes in the Moto2 class where he has recently earned back-to-back podium finishes.

The first

By stepping to the top-flight class, Binder becomes the first South African to take to the grid in the four-stroke MotoGP era.

“Looking forward, it’s an incredible feeling, a crazy feeling to think that I’ll be racing in MotoGP next year. I just have to say a huge thank you to KTM for putting their trust in me and taking me through to the premier class and yeah, I’m really excited to get started next year and see how things go next year. Next year I think my main goal will be to learn as quickly as possible and learn from the much more experienced guys on the KTMs. I obviously want to go there and do well straight away but in MotoGP, everything is extremely hard and super tight so you know, I’m sure it’ll take time to find my feet in MotoGP but I’m confident we can do a good job there.

“It is an amazing feeling right now and a dream come true. When you are growing up then this is what you aim for – to be in the MotoGP class with the best riders in the world with the best bikes – so it is a crazy feeling right now,” said Binder.

The boss speaks

Brad is somebody I have been following since he joined the championship in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and later in the Moto3. I have always been amazed by his talent, his aggressivity and his never-give-up-attitude and when you run a motorcycle race team, this is the profile of rider you wish and you love to have. I think to have the Miguel Oliveira – Brad Binder line-up reunited with us next year, is something that shows the Red Bull KTM organization and path is working. I think Brad Binder more than deserves a MotoGP ride next year after what he has been showing in the Moto2 the past two seasons. Miguel and Brad know each other, they are both incredible competitors and when you are a team owner, this is all you wish for” said team boss Herve Poncharal.