Why Binder should serve as an example and not a warning

If there is one thing that is clear, it is that Darryn Binder made a mistake this Sunday in Portimão by taking on Denis Foggia . The overtaking attempt was already preposterous in itself, but the action is even more serious due to the consequences it brought with it: the onslaught decided the title in favor of Pedro Acosta . Logically, the one who was furious the most was the Leopard rider, although indirectly the miscalculation of the #40 also prevented the Murcian from being crowned in a big way, without interference from third parties.

Binder is a regular in this type of mishap, which on more than one occasion has led to a sanction. It’s hard to find a better nickname for the boy than the one he already has: ‘Divebomb’, which in sports can be perfectly interpreted as kamikaze . In this case, the commissioners decided to disqualify him from the test, but the general feeling is that penance is far from the sin committed.

Once the spirits returned to their normal voltage, the most relevant voices of the championship gave their opinion on what happened and, more importantly, on the echoes left by all the fuss. The point of view of the MotoGP riders is especially relevant because in a few months they will meet Binder on the track. The Sepang Racing Team (SRT), renamed the RNF, will promote him in 2022 directly to the heavy bike category from Moto3, in a double somersault with a pirouette reminiscent of the one Jack Miller did in 2015. However, there are big differences that it is worth taking into account between one and another episode. The most important is that Miller rose to the premier class without going through Moto2 because Honda saw in him a special talent that had already been proven. On the contrary, the arrival of Binder can only be interpreted as a response to the economic needs of RNF.

Here lies one of the weaknesses of a contest that, due to its high costs, directly conditions the alternatives of the independent teams when the time to hire their riders approaches. An authorized voice of SRT quantifies the capital that Binder will contribute to the structure next year at half a million euros, a figure that has been decisive in his signing. Once the shock of Petronas as the main sponsor of the team was confirmed, many of its members have decided to change the scene. Razlan Razali , the owner, is replacing them with people he trusts, the vast majority of whom come from Malaysia. That Yamaha has only decided to commit for one year (2022), is another indication of the lack of confidence that the project instils in who must supply the bikes of Binder and Andrea Dovizioso .

Motivated by the clash with Foggia, most MotoGP riders gave their version of the matter, and responded as to whether the presence of what will be their new ‘partner’ on the track makes them uncomfortable. “The Darryn Binder thing has no name. There are aggressive drivers who have changed. Like Zarco, for example, who was one of the most controversial. Now he is still aggressive, but it has nothing to do with it. After the big accident he had in Austria [with Franco Morbidelli ], he changed”, Aleix Espargaró told Motorsport.com .

_{(Click on ‘Full version’ at the end of the article if the podcast player does not appear here)}

“It’s not the first time [Binder] has pulled off such a move. The most important thing is that these types of actions are penalized. Not in the race in question, but whoever stars in them misses out on one or two grand prizes”, agrees Joan Mir . “It happens too often that a driver gets into a corner without thinking about the consequences that it could generate”, continues Pol Espargaró .

At a time when the International Motorcycling Federation ( FIM ) has rolled up its sleeves to try to curb the increase in levels of aggressiveness that has been installed in the lower categories and grassroots championships, Binder’s debut in MotoGP will in the opposite direction to the inertia that is sought to be created. One of the possible solutions, probably the most popular, is the incorporation of a ‘super license’ similar to the one that Formula 1 drivers need to obtain before they can compete. In F1, the criteria that are taken into account when granting this super license are eminently sporting, so that whoever requests it must be able to prove solvent results in the lower categories. The introduction of this procedure would avoid cases such as that of Binder, who in the seven years he has been in the championship has only been able to achieve one victory ( Montmeló 2020), six podiums and three pole positions. In fact, until a couple of months ago he had never trained on a large displacement motorcycle – he made his debut in Brno , with a Yamaha R1, in a private test.

“We need a super license to exist. A kind of card that proves that you are ready for MotoGP. We have seen too many accidents caused by Binder,” says Pecco Bagnaia . “What is clear is that being able to race in MotoGP would have to be more difficult”, says Aleix Espargaró again. “The problem,” argues his brother, Pol, “is that it will be difficult to prohibit this type of transfer because we are in a free market.” The youngest of the brothers from Granollers (Barcelona) hits the target, since it once again shows that the selection criteria according to which teams give priority to the bag of money that the newcomer can inject, above their theoretical sports performance. And that, for Binder, redoubles the problem he has had to deal with since it was announced by RNF, in Misano . “It’s not all Darryn’s fault. The boy has a lot of pressure to show that he deserves to be in MotoGP, and that can lead him to make mistakes”, Mir emphasizes.

Binder has two weeks before getting on, at the Jerez test, on what will be his new bike, at least during 2022. For his own good and that of others, it is best that he take it calmly. world. That will be the only way to show that everyone who questions his MotoGP debut is completely out of line.