1701 RF final

Darryn Binder (Moto3)
Number: 40
Born: 21/01/1998
From: Potchefstroom
Bike: Platinum Bay Real Estate Mahindra
With Brad comes Darryn. Although I
am sure he is proud to be the brother of
Brad, he deserves to be mentioned in his
own right. Darryn is three years younger
than Brad and is already showing the
progress that has led his brother to where
he is today. Riding on board the Outox
Reset Drink Team Mahindra, he completed
his first full season in Moto3. I, and many
others, hope to see Darryn on board a
more competitive bike in the near future.
He is undoubtedly talented, he wouldn’t
be where he is if he wasn’t, and I believe,
given the right opportunity, he will show
his true potential. Darryn is also a graduate
of the Red Bull Rookies Cup. He began
competing, aged 6, in the South African
National Karting Championship. He won
the 50cc Cadet Class and Regional
Championship aged just 7.
2016
It was a tough old fighting season for
Darryn Binder. The Moto3 class is filled with
highly talented riders and Darryn is one of
them. Although the season was up and
down, we have to remember that Darryn is
still at an early stage in his MotoGP career
and is learning, as his brother did in his first
few seasons. Darryn has however shown
some real fight and some solid finishes
as a result. The season started off with a
twenty-third place finish in round 1, Qatar.
That would however be the best result
for a while, four DNF’s in a row followed
his thirtieth position in Argentina, round 2.
Round 7 in Barcelona would see Darryn
Binders potential shine. He registered his
first points and best Moto3 finish of twelfth
after starting from thirtieth on the grid.
Darryn followed up that brilliant result with
a seventeenth place in round 8 at Assen,
that in the wet. Another seventeenth would
follow in Austria. This run clearly indicating
that Darryn has what it takes. He proved
just that in Australia at Phillip Island. Darryn
first raised eye brows with an eighth place
qualifying, then after a dramatic race would
narrowly miss out on a podium finish. He
was caught just at the end, on the finish
line, finishing an amazing career best fourth.
In Sepang, Darryn picked up another top
result. He may have benefitted from a
number of fallers but in the end he stayed
on his bike and rode a solid race. The run
of form continued in to the final race of the
season in Valencia. Darryn picked up a
brilliant twelfth place, and even on a bike
that is not near the performance of the
top riders bikes, he was at times lapping
similar lap times. With Darryn on a KTM
machine as of next season, I’m sure he will
be challenging up at the front on a regular
basis! Darryn ended the season twenty-fifth
overall in the championship.
44 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017