Marco Bezzecchi
Brad Binder just finished in the top 10 for the fifth time in his last six MotoGP starts at the San Marino Grand Prix.
The South African turned a new page in his campaign just before the summer break, after KTM began to significantly improve the RC16. Binder is just outside the top 10 in the riders’ standings, which would match his worst result since his debut season in 2020.
Fortunately, he’ll be on the MotoGP grid in 2026, but his team’s situation is uncertain heading into the new regulations due to some financial problems. If KTM, as a manufacturer, pulls away for good, Binder will be forced to ride another bike for the first time in his career.
Binder was ‘spectacular’ at the Austrian Grand Prix and proved that he can still deliver at a top level, but he just needs the right bike beneath him. Binder even showed one glimpse of his ‘classic’ self and seems to have regained some confidence in KTM, despite having a difficult year.
Brad Binder shows how much he cares about KTM after defending Pedro Acosta’s chain ‘problem’
Just a few months ago, KTM were ‘not at all satisfied’ with Binder, but he has successfully managed to turn the tide in a positive direction. Now coming to the end of his sixth season with them, there’s a sense that the relationship between the two sides is improving again.
He’s one of the longest tenured riders at any team, and the arrival of Pedro Acosta was a reason for concern. As a superstar of the future, and with results trending in the wrong direction, it could have swayed the direction of support within the garage.
However, Binder’s latest comments on Acosta’s retirement from the San Marino Grand Prix show that his support for them is still high and that he is not afraid to defend his team when times turn difficult.
“We’ve never ever lost a chain. Ever,” he told Motorsport.com. “And coming out of Turn 6, there are those massive double kerbs where you run onto with a lot of lean angle. So more than anything, it’s just maybe the timing of when we drop the ride height device, shift gear and [hit] those really thick fat kerbs.
“When you get right up on top, that’s somehow just vibrating, and the chain is somehow coming off. So I don’t think we have a problem anywhere else, but of course, it’s a bit difficult or a bit s— that it happened three times.”
Why Brad Binder deserves to be on the MotoGP grid in 2027
After six seasons at the same team, Binder’s loyalty to KTM cannot be questioned. Maybe he could have moved to a satellite Ducati team in pursuit of more success, but he hasn’t.
Through some testing times, he has stuck with the team. His rookie season was incredibly promising, and had some excited about the promise he showed on a bike.
Fast forward five years, and his career is in danger of coming to a disappointing end if he can’t find another seat beyond 2026.
It means that next year is crucial for his career, and pressure will be on for him to perform, otherwise, his time in the premier class may be over.
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