Jack Miller, the only rider to have previously jumped straight from Moto3 to MotoGP, has backed Darryn Binder to make a success of the move in 2022.
Binder has been officially confirmed as riding for the new WithU RNF Yamaha squadwhich replaces the Sepang Racing Team he currently rides for in Moto3.
Miller made his MotoGP move in 2015, skipping Moto2 completely to debut on an Open-class Honda.
After just 17 points (and 19th) in his rookie season, Miller progressed to 82 points (11th) by his third and final year with Honda, including a shock wet win at Assen 2018.
After switching to Ducati, Miller took his first dry podiums in 2019 and 2020, with two wins so far in factory colors this season.
Miller was only 20 when he made his MotoGP debut, but Binder – younger brother of KTM MotoGP winner Brad – will be a more mature 24 next January, with seven seasons of grand prix racing under his belt (compared to three for Miller).
On the other hand, Miller took a standout six wins and ten podiums during his final Moto3 campaign, only narrowly losing out on the title to Alex Marquez. Binder meanwuile has just two rostrums this year, in the Qatar openers, and sits sixth in the standings. His only grand prix win came at Catalunya 2020.
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“I think all power to him. As I’ve stood by my whole MotoGP career, if you get the opportunity – this train doesn’t come twice, if you know what I mean, for a lot of people,” Miller said.
“If you’ve got the opportunity, you best get on and give it a crack because a lot of people don’t get to do this, they don’t get to ride the fastest motorcycles in the world against the best riders in the world.
“So if you’ve got the opportunity, why not take it and if anyone can do it, I think it’s Daz. He’s got that wild style, he can ride a bike when it’s moving around and what not. So I don’t think it’ll be an issue.
“He’s got plenty more experience on bigger bikes than I had when I moved to MotoGP, he’s ridden Superbikes and 600s and stuff like that.
“But yeah, nothing can prepare you for one of these things [MotoGP], it’s that far from everything else that you never know until you are here. So you best just try and get here.”
An alternative view came from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro, who was somewhat perplexed at the decision and felt some kind of MotoGP super license – achieved through experience in other classes – could be the way forward.
“It’s a very strange situation. I agree about a super license or something like this,” Espargaro said. “I prefer to not really comment too much… I mean I don’t really understand, anything of this movement [decision].
“It’s not that I don’t like, but I cannot find a reason why… It’s the most bizarre movement I’ve ever seen in my life!”
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