Official: Darryn Binder gets RNF Yamaha MotoGP seat for 2022

Darryn Binder will become the first rider since Jack Miller to jump straight from Moto3 to MotoGP after signing with Yamaha for the new satellitte RNF team, which is taking over the Sepang Racing Team entry from 2022.

The South African, who presently races for SRT in Moto3, will inherit the place vacated by Valentino Rossi and become team-mate to Andrea Dovizioso. He will also be joining older brother and KTM MotoGP winner Brad in the premier-class.

While Miller battled for the 2014 Moto3 title before moving straight to MotoGP in the now defunct Open category, Binder, 23, sits sixth in this year's world championship with just two podiums (at the Qatar season openers).

Despite stand-in appearances at the SRT MotoGP team by Binder's Moto2 'team-mate' Jake Dixon, Binder has long been seen as favourite for the Yamaha seat. The deal was finally made official on the eve of this weekend's second Misano round, Binder signing directly with Yamaha for 2022 plus an option for 2023.

“I‘m extremely grateful for this opportunity, as it has been a lifelong dream to race in the MotoGP category," Binder said. "I definitely didn‘t expect to make the jump straight from Moto3 to the highest class, but I do believe I‘m up for the challenge, and I‘m ready to put in all the hard work for 2022.

“My target at the beginning will be just to find my feet in the big class and learn as much as possible to get stronger and stronger throughout my rookie season.

“I would like to say a really big ’Thank you‘ to Yamaha and the RNF MotoGP Team for everything they have done to make this possible as well as everyone who has been involved in getting me to this point.

“I‘m now just looking forward to riding the Yamaha YZR-M1 for the first time at the end of this season.”

Yamaha and SRT boss/RNF founder Razlan Razali previously put faith in youth over experience by signing Fabio Quartararo for SRT's 2019 and 2020 campaigns. However, the Frenchman was already a Moto2 race winner, making the Binder deal a bigger gamble.

Binder is expected to ride a year-old M1 during his rookie season, with Dovizioso – currently finishing the 2021 campaign on the older A-Spec Petronas bike originally used by Franco Morbidelli - switching up to Factory-Spec, as used by Rossi.

“I want to give a warm welcome to Darryn," said Yamaha Racing boss Lin Jarvis. "We are delighted that he is joining the Yamaha line-up next year.

"We‘ve had many conversations about who would be a good match for the new RNF MotoGP Team set-up. It‘s a fresh start for the Yamaha satellite team and that makes it all the more fitting to have a young and eager rider like Darryn join them, as Fabio and Franky did before him.

“For Yamaha the primary mission of the satellite team is developing future MotoGP talents. Darryn has already shown on numerous occasions what he‘s made of in the Moto3 class. We know he is a fast and determined rider who has got what it takes to battle at the front of the pack.

"Obviously, the step up to MotoGP is significant and will take some adjusting, but we feel that he‘s ready, and Yamaha and the RNF MotoGP Team will fully support him for this new and exciting challenge.”

Binder is competing in his seventh Moto3 season, having raced with Mahindra, KTM and now Honda machinery. He has taken six podiums during that time, including one victory, at Catalunya 2020.

With all four Yamaha seats now taken, the second VR46 Ducati seat - set to go to Marco Bezzecchi - is the last remaining place to be officially filled on the 2022 MotoGP grid.