Moto3 World Champion · MotoGP

Brad Binder

Brad Binder won the 2016 Moto3 title and, four years later, gave KTM its first victory in the premier class. He has ridden the number 33 for the factory KTM team since 2020.

Nationality
South African
Born
11 August 1995 · Potchefstroom, South Africa
Number
33 (41 in Moto3 and Moto2)
Teams
RW Racing GP · Ambrogio Racing · Red Bull KTM Ajo · Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Championships
1 (Moto3 2016)
Best MotoGP finish
4th (2023)
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of MotoGP rider Brad Binder wearing his Red Bull KTM racing suit, featuring his number 33 KTM race motorcycl
Moto3 World Champion
2011 — Present
1
World Title
17
Grand Prix Wins
46
Podiums
271
GP Starts

Who is Brad Binder?

Brad Binder, born 11 August 1995 in Potchefstroom, South Africa, is a Grand Prix motorcycle racer for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He won the 2016 Moto3 world championship and in 2020 became the first rider to win a MotoGP race for KTM. Across 271 Grand Prix starts he has 17 wins and 46 podiums.

Full name
Brad Binder
Nationality
South African
Career
2011 — present
Best known for
The 2016 Moto3 title and KTM's first MotoGP victory

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 9 sources

Rider Profile

Brad Binder: Full Biography

Brad Binder is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer, born on 11 August 1995 in Potchefstroom. He rides the number 33 KTM for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and won the 2016 Moto3 world championship.

Five seasons in the smallest class preceded that title. Binder made his Grand Prix debut in 125cc in 2011 and spent his first four years scoring modestly for RW Racing and Ambrogio. A move to Red Bull KTM Ajo in 2015 changed the trajectory, and in 2016 he won seven races and took the championship at Aragón.

Three years in Moto2 with the same Ajo team brought eight wins. He was third in 2018 and lost the 2019 title by three points, winning five races including the last three of the season.

In MotoGP he won at Brno in 2020 in only his third premier-class start, giving KTM its first win in the class and becoming the first rookie to win since Marc Márquez in 2013. A second win followed in the wet at Austria in 2021. His best championship finish is fourth, in 2023.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Brad Binder

Chapter 01

From 35th to First

Binder reached the world championship in 2011 and spent four seasons going nowhere in particular, scoring 24 points in 2012 and 66 in 2013 on uncompetitive machinery. Red Bull KTM Ajo signed him for 2015 and everything changed. At Jerez in April 2016 he was sent to the back of the grid, 35th, after a technical infringement; he won the race anyway, ahead of Nicolò Bulega and Francesco Bagnaia, and set the fastest lap doing it. It was his 74th Grand Prix start, his first win, and the first by a South African since Jon Ekerold in 1981. Six more victories followed and the title was settled at Aragón.

Brad Binder, number 41, cornering his blue and white Ambrogio Racing Moto3 machine during practice at the 2013 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Moto3, 2011 — 2016 Photo: Brad Binder, Ambrogio Racing Moto3 (2013 British Grand Prix) by Smudge 9000 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 02

Three Points, Then History

Binder stayed with Ajo for Moto2 and the new KTM chassis. An arm injury wrecked the first half of 2017, though he closed it with three podiums in a row. Three wins came in 2018 and third overall. In 2019 he won five races, the last three of the season among them, and lost the championship by three points. He arrived in MotoGP with the factory KTM team in 2020 and, at Brno in only his third premier-class start, won. It was KTM's first victory in the class and the first by a rookie since Marc Márquez in 2013. He took Rookie of the Year.

Brad Binder leaning his orange and black Red Bull KTM through a corner at the 2020 European Grand Prix. Moto2 and the leap to MotoGP Photo: Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2020 European Grand Prix) by Box Repsol / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized) · licence
Chapter 03

KTM's Constant

A second win came at the Red Bull Ring in 2021, when Binder stayed out on slicks as the rain fell and held on — the only podium he scored all year. Sixth in the standings in 2021 and again in 2022, he then had his strongest season in 2023: five Sunday podiums, two sprint wins and fourth overall on a much-improved KTM. Fifth followed in 2024 as the leading non-Ducati rider, then a podium-less 2025 with a best finish of fourth at Mandalika. He remains with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2026, still the only South African to have won a MotoGP race.

Brad Binder, number 33, riding his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine at the 2025 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix. MotoGP, 2021 — present Photo: Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (2025 Malaysian Grand Prix) by Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · licence
Career Timeline

Brad Binder Career Timeline: 1995 — Present

Born in Potchefstroom

Born on 11 August 1995 in Potchefstroom, North West province, South Africa.

Grand Prix debut

Contests five 125cc races and wins a Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup race at Estoril from pole by fifteen seconds.

First Moto3 podiums

Takes two podiums for Ambrogio Racing on the Mahindra, eleventh overall.

Joins Red Bull KTM Ajo

Four podiums and sixth in the Moto3 championship.

Victory at Jerez from last

Wins from 35th on the grid, the first South African Grand Prix winner since 1981.

Moto3 world champion

Seven wins, six poles and fourteen podiums; the title is sealed at Aragón.

Steps up to Moto2

An arm injury disrupts the season, but he ends it with three consecutive podiums.

First Moto2 wins

Three victories and third place in the championship.

Three points short

Five wins, including the final three races, but the Moto2 title goes elsewhere by three points.

KTM's first MotoGP win

Wins the Czech Grand Prix at Brno in his third premier-class start and takes Rookie of the Year.

Austria on slicks

Stays out as the rain falls at the Red Bull Ring and wins his second MotoGP race.

Fourth in the world

Five podiums and two sprint wins, his best MotoGP season.

Best of the rest

Fifth overall as the leading rider not on a Ducati.

By the Numbers

Brad Binder Career Record, Season by Season

Brad Binder season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2011 RW Racing GP · 125cc 0 0 0 0 NC
2012 RW Racing GP · Moto3 0 0 0 24 21
2013 Ambrogio Racing · Moto3 0 0 0 66 13
2014 Ambrogio Racing · Moto3 0 0 2 109 11
2015 Red Bull KTM Ajo · Moto3 0 0 4 159 6
2016 Red Bull KTM Ajo · Moto3 7 6 14 319 1
2017 Red Bull KTM Ajo · Moto2 0 0 3 125 8
2018 Red Bull KTM Ajo · Moto2 3 1 3 201 3
2019 Red Bull KTM Ajo · Moto2 5 0 9 259 2
2020 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 1 0 1 87 11
2021 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 1 0 1 151 6
2022 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 0 0 3 188 6
2023 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 0 0 5 293 4
2024 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 0 0 1 217 5
2025 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 0 0 0 155 11
2026 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing · MotoGP 0 0 0 78 13

Championship seasons are highlighted. Career totals across all classes: 271 starts, 17 Grand Prix wins, 7 poles, 46 podiums, 2,431 points, 1 world title. The 2026 season is in progress — figures are after 13 rounds. Verified 2026-09-01 against the official MotoGP rider statistics, which agree with Wikipedia's season table on wins, poles and podiums for every completed season.

Brad Binder in his own words

In His Own Words
I knew I could do it even from last
Brad Binder · motogp.com, Jerez, April 2016
Frequently Asked

Brad Binder: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Brad Binder?

Brad Binder is a South African Grand Prix motorcycle racer, born 11 August 1995 in Potchefstroom, who rides the number 33 KTM for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. He won the 2016 Moto3 world championship.

How many world championships has Brad Binder won?

One, the 2016 Moto3 title with Red Bull KTM Ajo. He was Moto2 runner-up in 2019, losing that championship by three points.

How many MotoGP races has Brad Binder won?

Two, both for KTM: the 2020 Czech Grand Prix at Brno and the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix. His career total across all classes is 17 Grand Prix wins.

Why was Binder's 2020 Brno win significant?

It was KTM's first victory in the premier class, the first MotoGP win by a South African, and the first by a rookie since Marc Márquez in 2013. It came in only his third premier-class start.

What happened at Jerez in 2016?

Binder was sent to the back of the grid in 35th after a technical infringement and won the Moto3 race anyway, ahead of Nicolò Bulega and Francesco Bagnaia, setting the fastest lap. It was his first Grand Prix win, in his 74th start.

How did Binder win the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix?

He stayed out on slick tyres as rain fell in the closing laps while the field pitted for wets, and held on to the finish. It was his only podium of that season.

What number does Brad Binder race with?

33 in MotoGP. He carried 41 throughout his Moto3 and Moto2 careers.

Is Brad Binder related to Darryn Binder?

Yes. Darryn Binder is his younger brother and also a Grand Prix racer; the two competed against each other in Moto3 in 2015 and 2016.

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How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

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