Brad Binder put the Red Bull KTM back on the podium for the first time since Qatar after scoring second at Motegi.

The Japanese Grand Prix kicked off with a bang for the South African as he launched from his first front row of the year. Having briefly taken control, Binder sat second on the opening lap. Displaced by eventual winner Jack Miller next time around, he too got through on Jorge Martin for the runner-up position on the final lap.

“It was a fantastic weekend for myself and the team,” Binder said on Sunday. “We've been working so hard this season and we haven't got many good results so to be standing back on the podium is an amazing feeling.

“It was tough out there today,” he continued. “At the beginning of the race I was really struggling a little bit to understand how hard I could push with the rear because it was the first time I'd done laps on the hard tyre. Clearly I understood really well following Jorge and Jack at the beginning where we were losing time and where I was strong, so I was able to do laps behind them and really figure out where I needed to improve and use my strong points to my advantage.

“As the race went on I felt like I got better and better, and I need to say a massive thank you to my team for giving me the confidence to go with the H rear considering we'd never used it.

“To walk away today with a podium is fantastic, I pushed hard and fought hard from lap one but like I said, hats off to my team. They fought so hard, we needed this podium desperately and this is the start of many more.

“Congrats to Jack, he was on another level today,” Binder said on his future teammate. “When he passed me, he literally disappeared in about three or four laps. I could see he was on a roll and knowing Jack I thought he'd have the Hard tyre too. By about lap ten I knew we weren't gonna see him again. Hats off to Jack and it's gonna be awesome having him in the team next year.”