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Cape Town - Newly crowned Moto3 champion Brad Binder is riding a wave of support since his meteoric rise to stardom in the world of MotoGP.
The young South African claimed the championship albeit with a second-place finish at the Aragon GP (September 25), but en route to the title grabbed five wins in 2016 so far.
There are still four races left in the season.
He stretched his points advantaged over Spain's Jorge Navarro to 106 points, with only 100 left up for grabs - 25 points for every race victory.
Greatness in the making
Binder's achievements in MotoGP's lower category speaks volumes of a who could be a one of the sport's best riders..
In April of 2016, at the Jerez curcuit, Binder rode his KTM to victory after starting the race in last place. The only other driver to have done this is Marc Marquez; who went on to become a two-time MotoGP champion, with his third title within reach.
The win in Jerez was Binder's first of the season and he went on to record two more consecutive victories.
READ: South Africa's Brad Binder wins Moto3 title
In Assen (June 2016), Binder suffered a torrid race and finished in 12th place and at the Sachsenring a month later he finished in eighth.
At the Spielberg track in Austria, Binder managed to find his groove and finished the race in second place. At the next race in Brno, he crashed out five laps into the race. Despite his crash, Binder recorded victories at the following two races and on Sunday claimed the title.
Binder said: "You’ll always have weekends that don’t go entirely to plan. When that happens, you’ve just got to stay calm, go away and build again for the next race.” Binder will be racing in the Moto2 series in 2017 - the second tier just below MotoGP.
Success in sport is not guaranteed and Binder is all too aware of it. The guys at Red Bull Bulletin shared a great interview of the new champ with us.
Here is Binder's guide on achieving success.
1 Learn to adapt
Binder says: “It really takes some time to adapt and settle into Moto2. It’s one of those things that everybody has to go through and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.
"I’m going to take things one day at a time, but put myself in the best possible position to fight for the world championship. I know that if I just focus on what I have to do right now, it’s going to help shape my future. There’s no way that I’m going to stop until I’ve done what I set out to do. The ultimate aim is to be racing MotoGP.”
NEW CHAMP: Brad Binder leading the field around in Aragon. Image: AFP / Jose Jordan
2 Pushing ahead
Binder: “When we go out on track, the best thing about it is that we forget about everything else. When you get on your bike and the visor goes down, that’s when it’s time to do what’s required of you.
"You’re giving it 110% on every lap, you learn more about your bike and about the track. Doing more laps and pushing the limits, you find the quickest way to get around it."
3 Trust your tools
Binder: “The best you can do is spend as much time as you can on the bike. The more comfortable you are, the quicker you’ll be.
WATCH: Relive SA's Brad Binder winning the Moto3 title
“I have six guys on the team who are there just for me. It’s so important to have a good relationship with your team - they’re the people you’re around every week, and then every second weekend you’re racing."
4 Make time for a braai
Binder is currently living in Spain, but has not forgotten his South African roots - especially how to prepare a good braai!
Binder said: “SA is home and every time I go back I never want to leave. The support I’m getting from home is incredible. There’s a lot more press to do, but things are pretty good. We try to hook a braai here in Spain every now and then, but it’s not so easy. It’s not like home, that’s for sure.”
Read Binder's full guide to success here.
Congratulations, Brad Binder! We at Wheels24 are certainly proud of you. You've made your country proud.