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KUALA LUMPUR - Darryn Binder secured back-to-back podium finishes in the first two races of the 2021 season - third in the season-opening Grand Prix (GP) of Qatar in March and second in the GP of Doha early April, both held at Losail International Circuit, Qatar.
Petronas SRT team principal Datuk Razlan Razali pointed out that the inclusion of the South African rider into his team this season had proved to be a smart move.
Razlan said his team’s next target is to help shape Binder, 23, into a top rider by the time the season ends in November.
“We are extremely happy with Binder’s performance. However, we need to be cautious and approach a race at a time because it is still early to predict what will happen in the future. But we know what he is capable of as he has the strength and motivation to be a successful rider,” he told Bernama recently.
Binder, a former CIP Green Power rider, signed a one-year deal with Petronas SRT last September for the 2021 Moto3 Championship season.
Commenting on the poor performances of Jake Dixon and Xavi Vierge in Moto2, Razlan admitted that the weather condition in Qatar had taken its toll on them.
“It was windy and dusty in Qatar, and I believe the condition had affected their race,” he added.
However, Razlan is optimistic that the team will do much better in the upcoming race, 2021 Portugal MotoGP at Algarve International Circuit in Portimao from April 16 to 18.
British rider Dixon finished seventh in GP of Qatar before he dropped to 19th in GP of Doha the following week.
Spaniard Vierge also had an abysmal race in GP of Qatar as he was out of action after the sixth lap before improving to take eighth place in GP of Doha. - Bernama, April 13, 2021
