Brad Binder could face being a victim of KTM ‘dismissals’ after company ‘savings’ revelation emerges

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Brad Binder has stuck with KTM throughout his entire career and will be hoping that there will be some sort of reward for his loyalty.

The South African rider is currently on course to achieve his lowest-ever finish in the MotoGP standings, and has been outclassed by teammate Pedro Acosta in 2025. There has been a massive gulf in performance between the two factory KTM representatives.

Although the consistency has been there, the pace just hasn’t. With two rounds to go, Binder still doesn’t have as much as a podium to show for his efforts. The closest he came was in an attritional Mandalika race a few weeks ago, where both factory Ducati riders and Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi were eliminated.

Binder was a lot slower than other KTMs during the sprint race at the Malaysian Grand Prix. After spending nearly 12 months together, Acosta has shown Binder where to improve, and he’ll be hoping that with one last chance in 2026, he can rediscover his old form.

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

Brad Binder could be part of KTM ‘dismissals’ as company needs to cut costs by 50%

KTM have signed Phill Marron to work with Binder, who is an excellent engineer, and should be able to guide him in a better direction in the future. He has worked with Toprak Razgatlioglu for some time, helping to lead his charge to success in the World Superbike Championship.

Perhaps he will be able to find a way to help Binder get over a KTM issue they didn’t expect, with some chattering problems preventing him from discovering the full potential of himself and his bike in 2025.

A recent revelation uncovered by GPOne suggests that KTM must cut their costs by 50%, and it could stretch as far as its motorsport divisions. With staff layoffs already having occurred, it would be hard to protect Binder, considering his performance in 2025.

They report that some of the manufacturers’ 40 riders across all divisions face ‘dismissal’, which could open the door for someone to join Acosta if he stays beyond the end of 2026. If not, then KTM might be entering the new regulations in 2027 with an all-new line-up.

READ MORE: Disinterested Brad Binder keeps saying the same thing when he’s asked about KTM’s MotoGP bike

Where else could Brad Binder go if he were to leave KTM?

Binder will have seven seasons of MotoGP experience with KTM by the time his contract is up at the end of next year.

Throughout that period, he has been a super-dependable rider, missing just one race in Malaysia last year due to a left shoulder injury he sustained in a crash before the event was restarted.

Someone out there will have a need for his talents. Perhaps Pramac could look to replace Jack Miller with a similar level of experience if he can’t bring more success to the team in 2026.

Yamaha are another team that could be heading into 2027 with an all-new line-up, especially if Fabio Quartararo completely loses faith in their programme and ditches them. Binder will have to keep his eyes peeled, but opportunities will arise.