MotoGP | For 2020 KTM promotes Binder to the official team, Lecuona to Tech3
The South African will join Pol Espargarò, while Lecuona will team up with Oliveira
MotoGP – On the eve of the Australian Grand Prix, seventeenth stage of the 2019 Motorcycle World Championship, KTM announced the rider line up for the next season.
After Zarco's decision to leave the Austrian team a year early according to the contract and his dismissal shortly after, KTM found itself having to make a careful selection of riders for next year at a time of the season in which the majority part of the helots is now already under contract.
KTM thus decided to promote it, even before seeing Brad Binder in action on a MotoGP bike. The South African rider, currently riding for KTM Ajo in Moto2, had already been announced in Tech3 for 2020, but given the very particular situation he was promoted to the official team, joining Pol Espargarò. In his place in the French team will come Iker Lecuona, also currently involved in the intermediate category championship.
KTM bets on Brad Binder, Lecuona in Tech3
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsport: “It was clear that our plans for 2020 would undergo changes following the mid-season announcements. After thinking and talking I decided to move in this direction and let the young, hungry guys with good experience in other MotoGP categories show us what they can do. Brad is a rider who has made his way through the KTM structure and we have no doubt that he can walk into the Red Bull KTM team and maintain his attitude. Iker joins the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team and we are super confident that Hervé and his guys will be able to help and develop another rookie as they did so well with Miguel this year. We know we are making good steps.”
Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “I'm super happy with the duo we have for 2020. We had a long discussion, but in the end I think it's a good decision. Pol is a very strong driver who has achieved good results for us. Brad has shown that he knows how to ride our bikes very well.He is one of the young guys who grew up with us. It will be a big challenge for him but I think he will have a great future in MotoGP."
Hervé Poncharal, Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Principal: “My feeling is that this is the strongest line-up that KTM could hope for. We want to have four drivers with talent, passion, will and attachment to the project. Personally I am happy to work with a young and talented newcomer like Iker. This is the way forward for the future and we have seen the same approach bring some success to other teams. Let's start working on 2020: we have the technical support and we have the right people on board. I believe we will take a big step next year with both Miguel in his second year and Iker eager to show us what he can do."
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On the one hand I'm happy to see these two in MotoGP because I'm an admirer of both, on the other hand I don't like these very frequent promotions that are too fast. Binder, with another year in Moto2, would have had a good chance of winning the title and Lecuona, although very strong, still doesn't have a track record sufficient to go to MotoGP, just as Quartararo didn't have one, which we will be able to judge better when he leaves Yamaha.