Darryn Binder: High vs stable bike, race simulation… 'I've got a lot left'

For most premier-class riders, the gap between their final appearance in the 250cc Moto3 class and race debut on a 1000cc MotoGP prototype is measured in years and separated by at least one season of Moto2.

For Darryn Binder, it'll be less than four months and separated by nine days of winter testing.

The new RNF Yamaha rider completed his pre-season preparations at Mandalika on Sunday, when he was 24th and last on the timesheets, 1.9s from pace setter Pol Espargaro (Honda) and 0.451s behind next-closest rookie Remy Gardner (KTM).

But the South African feels he's closer than the final timesheets appear and is optimistic of being able to battle with other riders in Qatar.

"It's difficult to say, but I feel like I'm going to be in amongst them [in Qatar] but we'll only really know once we get there. Time will tell," Binder began.

"I would have liked to have gone out this morning and put in a time attack to really see where my fastest lap would put me. But today is our last day of testing and I still had a lot of work to do in finding a set-up that was working for me.

"So this morning we focussed on riding back-to-back, changing set-ups and stuff to try and see which one I felt more comfortable on. And then a long run at the end of the day.

"I mean, it's difficult to know exactly where I am. I feel like if I could have started today on what I ended today with, I could have really been able to see where I was.

"At the end of the day, sometimes I need to remind myself that I've come from Moto3, it's a big jump and I've just got to take it as it comes.

"Because it's been a big step, a big jump and although all these test days have been really good, it's never enough. You just start to find something and off we go again.

"What's really positive for me is, I feel I've got a lot left… I know I've got that half-a-second in me, I just can't put it together yet.

"At the same time, one lap is a lot different to a race, so I think we're going to have to just take it as it comes in Qatar. I hope that I'm in amongst other guys and, if I'm not, then obviously I'll have to keep working until I get there.

"I think once you're within a second, that's when it gets tough. You're really searching for little things and that's when we're really able to see if I'm going to do it or not."

The 2020 Catalunya Moto3 race winner, seventh overall with two podiums for Petronas SRT last season, got his first taste of handling an M1 over a MotoGP race distance on the final afternoon in Indonesia.

"I did a longer 12-lap run in Malaysia on the final day of the Shakedown test. Today I did a 20-lap run, I think the race here should be 24-27 laps, nobody is 100 percent sure," said Binder. "But I'd already done 40-laps, so by the time I started my race simulation I wasn't feeling the freshest!"

Binder's half-second deficit to Gardner over a single lap looked to be repeated, on average, during the race simulation, although the Australian did his earlier in the day before the heat peaked.

"It was a good learning experience, feeling what the bike does over all those laps," Binder said. "I started really struggling towards lap 15 and then I remembered I've got options to play with the [engine] maps, tone the bike down a little bit and change things. I ended up going a bit quicker again after that, so I managed to figure things out.

"That was really positive for me and at least I can tell the guys now, 'in the race in Qatar, maybe by lap 10 put something on my board to remind me I've got those things there'. Because previously we didn't [in Moto3].

"I was going to do the race simulation in the morning, straight after the 40 laps and then I thought, 'no, take a little break'. So I waited until 3pm and it was probably the hottest conditions I've ever ridden in. I was drenched when I finished!

"But when we come here for the race [on March 20] it'll probably be conditions like that, so it was a great time to do it.

"I feel like I've got a good base for Qatar. I know what I like and don’t like. I think if we can just focus and do a normal race weekend then hopefully I can start to make proper steps forwards and be amongst the other guys."

Stability vs manoeuvrability

In terms of Binder's likes and dislikes, the 24-year-old explained he's been understanding the trade-off between stability and manoeuvrability with his year-old Yamaha.

"We've tried let's say a more stable bike, which is really nice, but it's a lot heavier to change direction and stuff," he said.

"As much as I like the stableness, I didn't like how heavy it was and over a race I think a heavy bike would be a disaster because when you get tired you're just not going to be able to change direction.

"Then, making the bike higher, I definitely felt it was an easier bike and I liked it a lot more, but I lost a little bit of the stability.

"But over time I've found that you can really help the stability with the electronics, so by putting smoother maps and maybe cutting a little bit of power you're able to have a lot more stable bike and still have that high, easier to rider, bike.

"I don’t like it when they give me a lot of power because honestly I'm not able to ride it the way I want to, because if it's really aggressive I find that I just make too many mistakes.

"So I've been really enjoying the smoother [set-up], I mean obviously we are talking one step down and stuff, but in my mind it definitely makes a big difference.

"That's the type of things that I've found I like and don’t like. Everybody is starting to understand which way I like to work and what helps me to go faster. So I'm really happy with that."

Following more experienced riders is an obvious way to try and steepen the MotoGP learning curve, but bike differences mean it's not always helpful.

"It's funny, I got behind my brother once and I was like, 'oh yes, it's Brad, this is going to be cool, let's see'. But because he's on such a different bike I've got to keep telling myself, 'remember your points. Don’t change what you've been doing. Keep your same lines'. Because his lines are very different and he may be faster here and I may be faster there."

Aside from following another Yamaha whenever possible, Binder would like "someone that is smooth. because when you see somebody nice and smooth in front of you, you ride smooth. And when you see somebody fighting and all over the place you tend to get yourself all rolled up and do the same thing.

"I feel like it's not really the way to ride this bike. I think the smoother you are, the faster you are.

"It's definitely a learning curve and I think it's really important to try and follow some guys, because if you rock up at the first race and it's the first time you ride behind somebody I think you're going to get a big shock.

"I feel like I've learned a lot and I've still got a lot to learn. A full race, with all the bikes together at the start, is going to be really interesting."

'It’s horrible. A few guys lit up on the start line.'

Starting a MotoGP bike requires initiating front and rear ride-height systems plus launch control, then a leap of faith by dropping the clutch with the throttle wide open.

Normally all goes to plan and, on a dry track, the limiting factor is anti-wheelie, which kicks in to reduce power when the front wheel starts to rise too much.

But in wet conditions, or on a low grip dusty surface such as Mandalika, the rear tyre can suddenly spin-up before the wheelie point is reached, causing the bike to swerve sideways. A far scarier outcome.

"It's horrible. A few guys lit up [the rear tyre] on the start line because the front of the grid is a long way from the last corner so there's no rubber down," said Binder, the first rider to attempt a Moto3 to MotoGP move since Jack Miller in 2015.

"It's really scary to see that and then you're next up and think 'I hope this doesn't happen to me'. But I've been lucky and nothing has happened and I've had all good starts.

"Gees... If that [swerving sideways because of the rear spinning up] was to happen in a race, I think that must be the scariest thing ever."

Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, riding the factory-spec bike, was 1.2s faster than Binder in 19th.

Free practice for the Qatar season-opener starts on Friday, March 4.