Scorching sunshine, sticky air and high temperatures created a typically draining Thai Grand Prix in the city of Buriram. 2026 marked the second year in a row that MotoGP launched at the packed Chang International Circuit, 300km north of Bangkok. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing and Red Bull KTM Tech3 started from qualifying slots on the second, third, sixth and seventh rows of the grid.

Brad Binder was busy in a close second group where the South African had to sustain grip and be cautious of tire pressures. Brad kept a solid pace to improve on his 2025 position in Thailand thanks to his P7. He occupies P6 in the early championship table.

Round two will venture to Brazilian shores for the first time since 2004. The Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna in Goiania will be the scene for the next episode of MotoGP on March 20-22.

Brad Binder
7th and 6th in the championship:

“Happy on one hand but on the other I’d like more than a 7th. We’re going step-by-step and moving forwards because it was good to be in Q2 directly on Friday and both races were pretty good. We’ve made a step with consistency. Today was a lot more challenging than the Sprint. The bike clearly has the potential, so we’ll keep working and try to catch up to Pedro.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com

For the second year in succession, the 4.5km Chang International Circuit in Buriram brought a new season of MotoGP up to speed. After a hot, cloudy and windy day of Friday practice, the first qualification and race Sprint on Saturday was run in yet more stuffy and overcast tropical conditions.

Brad Binder was fast through Practice on Friday to start the year with a positive direct entry to Q2 for Saturday. The South African then took his KTM RC16 to the 11th best lap for the same slot on the grid and an improvement of three places compared to his effort in 2025. Brad battled on the fringe of the top five in the Sprint. His ranking of P6 by the line bettered his P8 from the previous year.

Brad Binder
11th in qualification, 6th in the Sprint:

“A pretty good start and I passed a few guys early on. I felt I had momentum but when the tire pressure comes up then it gets harder to stop, and harder to keep consistent. I had to stay calm and manage the front. The bike felt really good compared to our reference from last year and we’ve done great work so far. We had an issue on my second flying lap in Q2 and I had to use the second bike. It was a bit unfortunate…but I did an even faster time, which shows there is still a bit of extra speed in the pocket. We’ll see if we can get dragged along tomorrow and go a bit quicker.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com

As the 2026 motocross season kicks off, a powerhouse partnership has emerged to champion the future of South African motocross racing. The Ride Train Race (RTR) Academy, in a long-standing partnership with Motul, has joined forces with Tork Craft and Husqvarna South Africa to officially unveil the Tork Craft Husqvarna Motocross Team.

Bringing together the sport’s most promising young talent under one banner, the team is a natural extension of Motul’s commitment to developing South Africa’s next generation of champions. Selected strictly on merit following standout performances last year, the 2026 lineup combines title-winning track records with riders on a fast track to the top.

The 2026 Roster
• Rayden Woolls, 12 years old, (85cc): The “Triple Threat” of 2025. Woolls enters the new season as the reigning 65cc African, National, and Regional Champion. He makes the highly anticipated jump to the 85cc class this year.
• Mackenzie Bam, 16 years old, (Ladies Class): A revelation in the sport. After only one year in competitive MX, Bam secured an incredible 2nd place in both the National and Regional Ladies Championships.
• Kabelo Ledwaba, 14 years old, (125cc): Resilience personified. After a dominant 2025 where he led the 85cc National standings, Ledwaba’s title hopes were dashed by global logistics when his return from the Junior World Championships was halted in Dubai. Now moving to the 125cc class, he is a favourite for the podium.

For Motul, this initiative is a deep-rooted commitment to youth development and grassroots motorsport across Southern Africa. Extending their support to power the Tork Craft Husqvarna team is a seamless progression of their multi-year partnership with the RTR Academy.

“The youth are the lifeblood of motocross,” says Mercia Jansen, Managing Director of Motul South Africa. “Our partnership with the RTR Academy has been built over several years of shared commitment to developing young riders in this discipline, and extending our support to power the Tork Craft Husqvarna team is a natural next step in that journey. At Motul, we’re not just supporting a race season—we are investing in a pipeline of future champions.”

Central to this development is the RTR Academy, led by renowned mentors Tony Riddell (multi-time National Champion and International MX veteran) and Ryan Hunt (multi-time SA National Champion and International Grand Prix veteran). Both bring massive depth to the paddock, having transitioned from legendary racing careers to coaching and training. Motul has been a proud technical partner to RTR for several years, supporting the ecosystem that enables athletes to grow physically, mentally, and technically.

“Working with these young athletes is about more than preparing them for races,” says Tony Riddell. “At RTR we are building complete riders, and this partnership gives us the platform to do that at an even higher level.”

“To match that vision, Tork Craft has stepped in as title sponsor to ensure our riders have the support they need to match their ambition,” adds Ryan Hunt, Director at Tork Craft and co-founder of RTR. “We are proud to provide the tools necessary to maintain these bikes and, more importantly, to build the future of South African motorsport.”

A Collective Force
The partnership creates a complete performance ecosystem: RTR develops the talent, Motul powers the performance on track, Tork Craft provides the essential tools and Husqvarna delivers world-class machinery.

“At Husqvarna, pioneering performance is in our DNA,” says Megan Prinsloo, Marketing Manager for Husqvarna SA. “By teaming up with Tork Craft, Motul, and the RTR Academy, we’re giving these incredibly talented young athletes the ultimate platform to chase their dreams at full throttle. As junior riders, Rayden, Mackenzie, and Kabelo represent the very best of South African motocross.”
This joint partnership represents a long-term investment in the growth of South African motocross—ensuring the sport remains competitive and the development pathway remains robust for years to come.

To follow these young hot shots as they hit the National and Regional MX circuit, follow RTR on Instagram . For more info about Motul’s superior lubricants and Care Products, go to: https://www.motul.com/en-ZA

Issued on behalf of Motul by Listen Up

By day, Alex Torrão is an entrepreneur, husband and father to three daughters. By night – and every spare moment in between – he is training to compete in one of the toughest endurance races in the world: the Dakar Rally.

Through his campaign #DAD2DAKAR, Torrão is not chasing podiums. He is chasing the start line.

Raised between South Africa, Portugal and Macau, Torrão grew up riding motorcycles in rural Portugal. The Dakar Rally has been a lifelong dream – one that many would quietly shelve once business, bills and family responsibilities take over. Instead, Torrão chose a different path.

“The goal isn’t to win Dakar,” he says. “It’s to stand at that start line knowing I didn’t give up on a childhood dream.”

Unlike full-time professional riders, Torrão balances training camps, rally events and international qualifiers with school runs and board meetings. His 2025 season has already seen him complete major events including the FIM South African Safari Rally, Giants Adventure Rally Botswana and Fenek Rally Morocco – critical steppingstones toward Dakar qualification.

His 2026 race calendar expands internationally, including events in Argentina, Morocco and the Africa Eco Race – forming a structured two-year roadmap toward earning his Dakar entry.

The Dakar Rally itself is one of the most globally followed motorsport events, broadcast in 190 countries with millions of digital engagements annually. But for Torrão, the race represents something more personal than statistics.

It represents resilience.
It represents modern fatherhood.
It represents late-life ambition.

DAD2DAKAR is more than a rally campaign. It is a narrative about showing children that ambition has no expiry date – and showing men that fatherhood and bold dreams can coexist.

In a world obsessed with podium finishes, Alex Torrão is focused on something far more powerful:

Proving that sometimes the bravest victory is simply showing up.

Published by: Thando Hlongwa

Brad Binder
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 12th:

“I think we arrived at a really good starting point. We threw a lot of parts at the bike. I feel like we have room to improve for the longer race distance but doing the simulation today allowed us to focus on key changes, and we were able to get to the end of the tire, which is better than last year. We tried a major switch, and it was so different. It allowed me to go a second faster than this morning. Happy with that and we’re really looking forward to exploring more in FP1 on Friday. I’m certain this year is going to be better than 2025.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com/