Early signs are that in the years to come, South African Brad Binder could be a real-world championship title contender in motorcycle sport.



South African phenomenon Brad Binder has been excelling in his first season in MotoGP, stunning the sport with victory in the Czech Republic in just his third-ever race in the class as talk of a new global superstar reverberates around the sport. 



MotoGP is the motorbike equivalent of Formula 1 and Binder is the first South African to compete in the class since Jon Ekerold in 1983, and the first-ever to claim victory in a race to firmly announce his arrival as a new hero on the bike.



Binder, 25, is racing for the Austrian Red Bull KTM team and early signs are that in the years to come, he could be a real-world championship title contender, with skill, speed, and zero fear on the track. His victory in the Czech Republic came after a steep learning curve in a truncated 2020 season that only started in July and will see 15 race weekends, with a number of others canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



“The first race I made a mistake and went off track, and managed to fight myself back up to 13th position, which was really disappointing because I had the same pace as the guys in the top three,” Binder tells FORBES AFRICA.



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<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“They put an absolutely insane motorbike underneath me.”</blockquote>
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 “It could have been a good day for me, but unfortunately with the mistake, it was tough. The second race weekend in Jerez [Spain], I thought we made some positive steps forward. The qualifying pace was better and I was feeling better in general. “Unfortunately in turn one I had a good run off the line, but when I turned I didn’t see the Ducati on my inside and ended up taking out [teammate] Miguel Oliveira, so that was not good. 



“And then after that I ran off on the gravel as I was trying to fight my way back. I got past four guys, but I lost it in the front.”



Binder has taken those lessons on board though and that shows his race intelligence, culminating in his maiden race win at the Brno Circuit.



“It is a day I have dreamed of since I was a little boy and now it has come true,” Binder said of his maiden win. I can’t thank my team enough, they put an absolutely insane motorbike underneath me. I had no idea we had a chance of winning, but I thought it would be good. I hope this is the start of many more.”



Binder started racing globally in the 125cc category as a 15-year-old in 2011, and had spent the last three seasons in Moto2, winning five of the 19 races last year before earning his spot in MotoGP.&nbsp;



He finished second in the riders’ championship in Moto2 last year, having won the Moto3 championship in 2016.&nbsp;



“It is an honor to be the first South African in a while to be in the MotoGP class,” he said. “It has always been a dream to get here and now that I am, I want to get as close to the front as possible and I want to be winning races.&nbsp;



“The goal was always to get to MotoGP, but the end goal now is always to win. That is my plan, and that is what I am striving for and working for every single day.



“I am looking forward to this whole situation I am in right now, where I have to chip my way through the order and it’s going to be a great challenge.”



Binder has received rave reviews from opponents, who have picked up his fearlessness for the fight and ability to push his bike to the limit.&nbsp;



Frenchman Fabio Quartararo and legendary former Spanish rider Jorge Lorenzo are two that have spoken highly of Binder.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“Lorenzo has always been someone I have really enjoyed watching ride and to hear him say good things about me is really great, so let’s hope we can have some positive results and keep things on a roll.”</blockquote>



What is clear is that the South African has a bright future in this class, and is with a team that values his ability. He is also on a bike that has the potential to win him many more MotoGPs.



“It has gone much better than I could have expected, the bike is feeling fantastic, I am feeling super comfortable on the bike and the team is working well,” he said.&nbsp;



“Our bike has made an incredible step forward, it is fantastic to see how this whole package has come together just in time.&nbsp;



“I feel that since I joined KTM, this new bike they have brought has been a whole lot more competitive and we have seen it [in results].



“It is all really positive and just to be able to fight among these top guys is an incredible feeling, especially as a rookie. I need to keep the same work ethic and hopefully, in time we can turn it into solid results.”



-By Nick Said

Brad Binder

Motorsport: The New Fearless Hero On The Bike

Two years, eight months, four days and 78.2 kilometres separate Kevin Pietersen from Hashim Amla in lifespan and birthplace. In life and cricket they are worlds apart.
Two young men from the same part of South Africa, Kwa-Zulu Natal, have turned out as differently as the two places they are from: Pietermaritzburg and Durban. On the face of it, the similarities are obvious between the towns, as they are with the men. They are both professional sportsmen, cricketers, batsmen, who operate in crucial position at the top of the order, products of top South African schools and performers in a sport that is thriving.
Look deeper and you will realise that Pietermaritzburg has no sea and the gap between the two is as wide as the Indian Ocean. That calm, vast mass of blue represents of the oceans between Pietersen and Amla. The former has made as many enemies as the latter has made friends. Pietersen has played for four domestic teams and has had altercations at every one. Amla has played peacefully for one, the same team that Pietersen started at.
It was in the year 2000 that Pietersen decided to use politics to justify why he was not getting picked regularly for Kwa-Zulu Natal. Pietersen said the quota system was to blame for him being overlooked. In fact, it was that he was nothing more than a mediocre off spinner who, although dedicated to fitness and hard work, was hardly deserving of a regular place.
Pietersen packed up and flew to England where he played for Nottinghamshire. Three years later, he asked to be released from his contract blaming the pitch at Trent Bridge for his lack of runs. A move to Hampshire followed, where he stayed until he decided he could no longer live a small town life and wanted to live to London. In between, Pietersen qualified for England and blended self-assurance, with skill, to emerge as one of their best batsmen. When the explosive Pietersen takes to the crease, cricket fans around the world stop what they are doing and watch.
While Pietersen was battling the world, Amla was completing school at the alma mata of cricket legends Barry Richards and Lance Klusener, Durban Boys’ High. Apartheid South Africa caused Amla and his older brother, Ahmed, to be schooled apart. Ahmed is four years older and had to go to a school for pupils of Indian descent, as were the rules of the apartheid day. By the time Hashim reached high school, the doors of opportunity had opened and he was able to get specialised cricketing coaching, once the preserve of the privileged, on the playing fields of Durban Boys’ High.
Amla’s talent, despite a dodgy back lift, was obvious and he was selected for South Africa’s under-19 squad as soon as he was old enough. He went on to captain them as a reluctant leader.
As luck would have it, on the same day Amla made his Test debut for South Africa, Pietersen made his ODI debut for England. It was November 28, 2004. Amla was scratchy against India and his technique appeared flawed. He was dropped after three Tests and it took him almost two years to make his way back into the South African team.
Pietersen began batting for England in Zimbabwe, in a fairly low key fashion, but blossomed for his adopted country. He scored three centuries for England on the tour and showed that brash bullishness could breed success.
When Pietersen and Amla met eight years later, both their fortunes had changed. The former had suffered an unhappy stint as England captain, which ended almost as quickly as it began, but had established himself as a player who was the backbone of the English batting line-up. Aggressive, audacious and arrogant: Pietersen’s game is as dramatic as summer lightening. Multi-million dollar contracts, in the Indian Premier League, led Pietersen to a lucrative football-style club-over-country life. He lived the life and moved to fashionable Chelsea, where he hangs out with Frank Lampard and co.
By contrast, Amla took long to build to a crescendo. First, he mastered Test cricket, culminating in a double century in India. Then, he topped the rankings in ODIs and slowly made the transition to twenty-overs, something he is still working on. He was elevated to vice-captain of the limited-overs sides, under AB de Villiers, and skippered in De Villiers’ absence. His back lift became less pronounced, but only just, as he made what he had work for him.
Amla’s personal life was a world away from Chelsea and remained a secret. Amla married, his schoolteacher wife, Summaya, had their first child, a son, in January 2011, but to date, no-one in the media has seen either. The only hint that Amla had a life outside cricket was when promoted baby shoes and a brand of cold-drink for an online company.
Come England in July, the two men from KwaZulu Natal faced off in a battle to be the best team in the world. Amla struck the first blow by setting the South African record for the most runs in an innings with 311 at the Oval. Pietersen counter attacked 149 at Leeds to help England draw against the odds.
Then Pietersen, to use a cricketing metaphor, hit wicket. He sent text messages to members of the South African squad, deriding his team-mates. It was disapproved of by the England and Wales Cricket Board and they dropped him from the final, must-win match of the series. In that match, Amla scored his second century of the series and South Africa were crowned No.1 cricket team on the planet.
“I’m not even the second best batsman in my team,” Amla said modestly.
Amla dedicated the hundred to the team statistician, Prasanna Agoram, who had converted to Islam. It was Amla’s way of reiterating his commitment to his religion, something he holds so dear he refused to wear the sponsors’ logo because it was a beer brand.
Gestures a world away from the bling of Pietersen and Chelsea; gestures that were pure.

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FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

Motorsport: The New Fearless Hero On The Bike

The Brash Battler And The Quiet Man