Binder began his motorsports career in go-karting in 2003. In 2005 he switched to two wheels, winning several titles in the 50cc, 125cc, and 150cc categories. In 2008 he made his international debut in the British Aprilia Superteens Series, finishing second in his first race before crashing in the second. He contested three seasons of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup between 2009 and 2011, recording a best championship finish of fifth in 2010.
Binder started his Grand Prix career in the 125cc class in 2011 riding an Aprilia for RW Racing GP with bike number 41. He finished the season pointless, with a best result of 17th at Indianapolis. In 2012 he switched to Kalex KTM; his first Moto3 point came at the Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix. The 2012 season featured seven crashes; Binder scored four times with a best result of fourth at Valencia, finishing 21st in the championship with 24 points.
From 2013 to 2014 Binder raced for Ambrogio Racing, using Suter Honda and later Mahindra machinery. In 2013 he scored in 14 of 18 races with a best result of fourth in Spain, finishing 13th overall with 66 points. In 2014 he improved to 11th with two podiums.
In 2015 Binder joined Ajo Motorsport, the factory-supported KTM team. His first season there produced regular points finishes and four podiums, good for sixth overall. In 2016 he converted that foundation into the Moto3 World Championship, recording seven wins and 14 podiums and finishing with a 142-point margin over second place. His victory at the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix at Jerez made him the first South African to win a motorcycle Grand Prix since Jon Ekerold won the 350 cc class at the 1981 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.
Binder moved to the Moto2 class in 2017, continuing with Red Bull KTM Ajo. Despite an injury that forced him to miss several rounds, he achieved three podiums to finish eighth in the championship. In 2018 he improved to third with three wins. In 2019, following a difficult start to the season caused by KTM's new Triumph engine, Binder took five wins and nine podiums to finish second — just three points behind champion Álex Márquez — as the best KTM rider in the class.
Binder made his MotoGP debut with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in the 2020 season. He won his first MotoGP race at the third round of the season at Brno, the Czech Republic Grand Prix, also delivering KTM's first-ever win in the premier class.
Binder and KTM had a difficult start to 2021 but he maintained top-ten positions throughout the season and reached the top five four times: fifth at Portimao, fifth at Mugello, fourth at Sachsenring, and fourth at Assen. He scored a home-track victory for KTM at the Austrian MotoGP Grand Prix by choosing to stay on slick tires when rain began to fall with five laps remaining while most leading riders pitted for wet tires. Despite extremely slick conditions and reduced braking effectiveness, he held off a late charge from Francesco Bagnaia to win the race.
Binder remained with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing for the 2022 season. He started with a second-place finish at the Qatar Grand Prix and was a consistent top-ten finisher throughout the year. He recorded his first ever top-three qualifying result at the Japanese Grand Prix, which he followed with a second-place finish. At the final round he again finished second with the fastest lap of the race, giving him three second-place results across the season.
In June 2021 Binder had signed a contract extension to remain with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing through 2024. He won the sprint race in Argentina after starting 15th on the grid and recorded five podium finishes across the season — in Spain, Great Britain, Austria, Thailand, and Valencia — to finish fourth overall, the highest placing for a non-Ducati rider. At the Austrian round Binder extended his contract further, keeping him with the team until the end of 2026.
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