Two-time MotoGP race winner Brad Binder has become the first rider in 30 years to set a benchmark lap time around Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit of 1:42.260.
Over the past decade, South African racer Binder has been rising through the world motorcycle Grand Prix racing ranks, winning the 2016 Moto3 World Championship and finishing runner-up in the 2019 Moto2 world title race.
Since 2020, he has been a spearhead of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in MotoGP. He took a maiden win at the Czech Grand Prix in 2020 and a second victory in difficult conditions at the Austrian Grand Prix last year.
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The last rider to set a record lap around Kyalami on a premier class bike was Australia’s Wayne Gardner in the 1992 South African Motorcycle Grand Prix. On a different track layout raced by Gardner, Binder has set the standard for a modern-era MotoGP bike.
In the lead-up to this year’s edition of the Austrian event, Binder had the chance to return to South Africa on a Superlap project on the 4.529km layout of Kyalami’s track circuit.
Using a 2019 KTM RC16, the 27-year-old had the chance to lap his home circuit at speed. “Today was incredible, it was so much fun to go out and get the chance to ride the MotoGP bike around such an amazing track. A track that I grew up riding on.
“Just to go through turn one at this track is quite special because it’s quite unique, there’s nothing else like it out there and it feels cool to be in sixth gear flat out and lean over on a MotoGP bike. It’s special to know that we will hold the record for a while,” he said.
In addition to lapping the track’s new fastest time, Binder was given the opportunity to ride the race-spec bike on South African roads as part of a light-hearted action edit that followed his preparation for the lap.
“It’s been super fun, it’s something I never thought I would do in my life, riding a MotoGP bike around in some iconic spots all over Johannesburg.”
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