MotoGP rookie Brad Binder insists he isn’t worried about KTM’s development in 2021 stalling owing to the lack of experience with the bike within its ranks next year.
KTM will field two rookies in 2020 in Binder at the works team and Tech3’s Iker Lecuona, while Binder’s team-mate Miguel Oliveira faces a truncated sophomore season – having missed three races through injury at the end of last year.
To boot, KTM will bring outgoing Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci into its fold as a factory rider at Tech3 next season.
With the RC16 a notoriously difficult bike to adapt to for riders coming from other manufacturers, Petrucci does face a potentially difficult campaign.
However, Binder feels Petrucci’s experience will still prove vital, and noted test rider Dani Pedrosa’s input has already taken the KTM project forward.
When asked by Autosport during a media session via Zoom if he was worried about Petrucci’s lack of KTM experience hindering development, he replied: “Absolutely not, I’m really not stressed at all.
“At the end of the day, you have obviously Miguel and I who are new, which obviously we don’t have too much experience.
“But a guy coming in like Danilo (below) is great in my opinion, because he’s been on the factory Ducati the last couple of years.
“The guy’s been on the podium a good few times and he is a race winner. So, I think his input is going to be amazing.
“At the same time we’ve got Dani Pedrosa, who everything he brings pretty much seems to work better and be an improvement for all of us.
“I think KTM is working in a great direction and the future is going to be bright.”
Binder will be partnered with former Moto3 and Moto2 team-mate Oliveira at the works team – who will replace Honda-bound Pol Espargaro next year – and believes the pair pushing each other on will only be “good for the project”.
“We have been team-mates since 2015 for the first time, and I’ve found that we always worked well together,” Binder added.
“The first years I’ve always been a step behind him, but I’ve always got to the same level as him and we’ve always fought quite a lot.
“I think it’s great because we really push each other on a lot and I think it can be good for the project as well.
“We’ve been KTM boys from the beginning and now we’re in MotoGP.
“So, it’s really cool to see and we’re part of the KTM family and that’s where we plan on staying I imagine.”