Brad Binder was ‘very close’ to losing his KTM factory seat before his replacement got injured

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Brad Binder only just held onto his KTM factory seat for the 2026 season, according to a report. He very nearly paid the price for his underwhelming form this year.

Binder has been part of the KTM set-up since 2015, when he was still a Moto3 rider. He’s represented their factory squad throughout his premier-class career, winning two Grands Prix and scoring 11 podiums.

But Binder is currently on for an 11th-place championship finish. That would match his rookie season and end a streak of four years in the top six (with at least one podium).

Binder has lost his enjoyment this year, though a season-high fourth in Indonesia has given him some hope for the final few rounds. It’s clear that he’s fighting for his future as a contract year approaches.

KTM very nearly swapped Brad Binder with Maverick Vinales

A report from Motorsport Espana reveals that KTM were ready to drop Binder to satellite squad Tech3 for 2026. This would effectively have been a swap deal with Maverick Vinales.

KTM were ‘very close’ to pulling the trigger after they ‘realised’ that Vinales’ speed and ‘attitude in the face of adversity’ merited a factory spot alongside Pedro Acosta. Binder would then have partnered Enea Bastianini at the team recently acquired by Guenther Steiner.

But in the end, Vinales’ shoulder injury scuppered the plan. He missed four Grands Prix after the qualifying crash in Germany, and hasn’t yet made a full recovery.

Top Gun didn’t race in Indonesia and has ruled himself out of the next two events, with the lasting impact still evident in his results. The ‘unfortunate’ setback prevented a promotion, though he could be a strong contender for 2027 if he can get past his fitness issues next year.

As the table above shows, Vinales was outperforming Binder prior to his injury. He immediately hit higher peaks despite his relative lack of experience on the RC16.

Brad Binder to work with Toprak Razgatlioglu’s crew chief in 2026

It’s no surprise that KTM are making a radical change on Binder’s side of the garage for 2025. They can’t accept his current level of performance, which has seen him thrashed 37-3 by Acosta in the overall head-to-head.

Binder will work with Phil Marron, Toprak Razgatlioglu’s BMW crew chief in World Superbikes next year. Pramac have rejected Razgatlioglu’s request to bring Marron with him.

Plans for Binder’s long-standing ally Andres Madrid are unknown, but the South African will have access to one of the highest-rated crew chiefs in the business.