The South African, a race winner in both his previous MotoGP s🐬easons, began the test using his 2022 race bike before switching to the updated RC16 - featuring revised chassis, engine and electronics - as well as tryiﷺng a new aero package.

Binder, who matched last year’s sixth in the final world championship standings, set the seventh fastest lap at the test, 0.464s behinﷺd VR46 Ducati’s Luca Marin😼i.

“Today was cool, the guys had a ton of things for us to try,” Binder said♉. “We tried our new bike, pretty much, and a bit of a different aero package.

“We didn't do a huge amount of laps, but we did more quality runs. So happy with everything that we have achieved and we hav𝔉e given the guys a lot more information to go home and change things up before we get to Sepang [in February].”

Binder had already been using a revised frame during the rಞace weekend, but revealed the chassis used at the test was substantially diffeౠrent in terms of character.

“Well it's not ♚the frame I used for the race weekend, it's a newer version,” he said.

“On the weekend I struggled a lot with the front end, stopping and entry weren't great. This [new] bike stopped well and entry is super good, but I was struggling a bit on the ♔gas. So we need a combo.”

But overall, Binder felt the neღwer frame was a step forward.

“I think from the feeling point of view it's a much easier bike to ride,” he said. “And it's a lot easier to put it where you want and it turns better. It's just we need to get it to hoo⛄k up on the exit now.

“For me, the rear was really snappy going into the corners [this year]. I'd start tipping and it’d just let go on me all the tim🐈e. Th🌠en on the first crack of the gas, it would let go. That's been my main complaints [this season].”

Binder also confirmed the engine had be🌊en revised, but said he’s kept in the dark as far as the details!

“The new bike is a full combo. The [engine] character is very similar…🍌 I actually don't know the difference! I ride it and tell them what I think. I don't know w🧜hat's what!

“▨I think they get more unfiltered information [that way], so it's prob🌳ably better in the long run.”

One development that was obvious to sp๊ot was the revised aerodynamics.

“I quite liked th💦at. It felt quite nice. They need to still tweak i♏t a little bit, but the initial impression was pretty good,” said Binder. “When it was really windy at one stage, I felt it was better. I felt like I had a bit more front contact.”

“It was a full package so different top fairing, wings... So what [part] was doing what, I’m not sure. Anyway, ✅that's [KTM’s] job. They’ve got to go and optimise everything now and bring us an even better one in Sepang.”

KTM’s new philosophy

While KTM celebrated two wet weather wins this season courte🌟sy of former t🦂eam-mate Miguel Oliveira, Binder’s runner-up finishes in Qatar, Motegi and Valencia were their best dry results as the factory finished fourth in the constructors’ standings.

“The things 𒀰that we've changed [on the new bike] aren't huge. They’re small things that really touch our problems. I think that’s KTM’s new philosophy a litꦗtle bit. That if it's not broken, you don't fix it.

“So I think they really will do♍ things that caꦚn make us faster, and whether that be big changes or small changes, I don't know. But I'll see in Sepang.”

Binder on Jack Miller’s arrival: ‘I think we’re gꦇoing to have a good year’

The Valencia test also marked the KTM MotoGP debut for Binder’s 2023 team-mate Jack Miller, who is switching to the RC16🃏 after five years at Ducati.

“We've been super💃 busy today, so I only got to chat him after the first run. He s🍨aid all felt quite good,” Binder said.

“I've heard a couple of comments from my team that are similar to what we've been feeling all year, or what💝 we know are some points of our bike we need work on.

“But I don't think he was too ജunhappy by any means, I think our bike’s not bad 👍at all. We've got some work to do, but let’s see.

“It was cool to g🌄et his first impressions, to see what he thought of it and all of that. And I mean, clearly he did pretty good straightaway on it. So I think we’re going to have a good year next year.”

Miller set the 17th fastest lap time but was within 0.4s of Bin🦋der’s best lap.

Red Bull KTM Technical Manager Sebastian Risse sa📖id: “We did༒ the first laps with Jack and he was quite happy with the bike and with the first adaptions and changes we did.”

Binder had alre꧟ady been using a revised frame during the Valencia race weekend but revealed the chassis used at the test was different again.

“Well it's not the frame I used for tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhe race weekend, it's a newer version,” he said.

“On the weekend I struggled a lot with the fro꧒nt end, stopping and entry weren't great. This [new] bike stopped well and entry is su🍌per good, but I was struggling a bit on the gas. So we need a combo.”

But overall, Binder felt the t🎃est frame was a𝐆 step forward.

“I think from the feeling point of view it's a much easier bike to ride,” he said. “And it's a lot easier to put it where you want and it turns better. It's just we need to get 👍it to hook up on the exit now🎉.

“For me, the rear was really snappy going into the corners [this year]. I'd start tipping and it’d just let go on me all the time. Then on the first crack of the gas, it𒐪 would let go. That's been my main complaints [this season].”

• K꧙eith Huewen: ‘Heaven sent’ debut - has Aprilia found another star?

Binder also confirme🌜d the engine had been revised but said he’s k💖ept in the dark as far as the details.

“The new bike is a full combo [of new parts]. The [engine] character is ve𝓀ry similar… I actually don't know the difference! I ride it and tell them what I think.

"I don't know what's what! I think th♍ey get more unfiltered ꧙information [that way].”

One development that was obvious to spot was the revis𝕴ed aerod🙈ynamics.

“I quite liked that. It felt quite nice. They need to still tweak it a little bit, but the initial impression was pretty good,” said Bi𒐪nder. “When it was really windy at one stage, I felt it was better. I felt like I had a bit more front contact.”

“It was a full package so different top fairing, wings... So what [part] was doing what, I’m not sure. Anyway, that's [KTM’s] job. They’ve got to go and optimise everything now and bring us an even bett✅er one in Sepang.”

KTM’s new philosophy

While KTM celebrated two wet weather wins this season courtesy of former team-mate Miguel Oliveira, Binder’s runner-up finishes in Qatar, Motegi and Valencia were their best dry𓂃 results as the factory finished fourth in the constructors’ standings🍸.

“The things that we've changed [on the new bike] aren't huge. They’re small things that really touch our problems. I think that’s KTM’s new philosophy a little bit. That if it's not broken, y⛎ou don't fix it," Binder said.

“So I think they really will do things that can make us faster,💙 and whether that be big changes or small changes, I don't know. But I'll see in Sepang.”

Binder on Jack Miller: ‘I think we’re going to have a good year’

The Valencia test also marked the KTM MotoGP debut for Binder’s🐎 2023 team-mate Jack Miller, who is switching to the RC16 after five years at Ducati.

“We've bee෴n super busy today, so I only got to chat with him after the first run. He said all felt quite good♒,” Binder said.

“I've heard a couple of [his] comments from my team that are similar to what we've been fee𒆙ling all year, or what we know are some points 🃏of our bike we need work on.

“But I don't think he was too unhappy by any means. I think our 𓂃bike’s not bad atꦬ all.

“It was cool to get his fiﷺrst impressions, to see what he thought of it and all of that. And I mean, clearly he did pretty good straightaway on it.

"So I thi𓆏nk we’re going to have a good year next year.”

Miller set the 17th fastest lap t🎃ime but was within 0.4s of Binder’s 🍷best lap.

Red Bull KTM Technical Manager Sebastian Risse said: “We did the f🍃irst laps witꦗh Jack and he was quite happy with the bike and with the first adaptions and changes we did.”