South African racing driver Darryn Binder’s move straight from Moto3 to MotoGP is a wise, albeit ambitious, decision.
That is the opinion of the former motorcycle Grand Prix rider and multiple South African champion Dave Petersen. Petersen commented on the announcement that next year Darryn, 23, will compete with his brother Brad in the world’s leading motorcycle racing discipline.
Darryn, who finished fourth with a Petronas Sprint Team Honda at the Gran Premio Nolan e dell’Emilia-Romagna Moto3 race in Misano, Italy, was signed for the RNF Yamaha MotoGP Team in 2022.
He will join veteran Andrea Divizioso in the Yamaha satellite team.
“The jump from Moto3 to MotoGP is a huge one, as the current MotoGP motorcycles are the fastest circuit motorcycles of all time,” said Petersen.
“But if you have the talent to deal with it, it makes sense to go straight to the top class instead of spending two or three years in the Moto2 intermediate class hoping to get noticed by a MotoGP team.
“Some critics call Moto2 the ‘graveyard class’ where young careers die. Darryn has impressed several people in the MotoGP class.
“He is currently the heaviest rider in Moto3 because he is the greatest, and yet he is consistently at the front of the field. That shows a lot of talent, courage and perseverance – everything you really need in MotoGP, ”said Petersen.
In Darryn’s seven years in Moto3, he has won one race and made six podiums.
“He knows all the tracks well and is a clinical, courageous driver. I think he will adapt to the rigors of MotoGP in the next season and be ready to ride in the top 10 from 2023, ”concluded Petersen.
Meanwhile, Brad Binder won the Moto3 world title for the Red Bull KTM team in 2016. He has since remained loyal to the team, joining MotoGP gear two years ago and taking two MotoGP victories. Brad was 11th in the race at Misano last Sunday.
Darryn Binder becomes the seventh South African rider to compete in the world’s leading motorcycle racing class, starting with Paddy Driver in 1959.
Besides Brad, the others are Jon Ekerold, Kork Ballingon, Dave Petersen and Brett Hudson.