Marco Bezzecchi
Brad Binder is eager to bounce back from the “toughest year” of his MotoGP career in 2026, after he took the cover off KTM’s new bike alongside Pedro Acosta this Tuesday.
The 30-year-old is about to enter his seventh season on the premier class grid for KTM, but his future in the field is far from certain. Binder is due to be out of contract at the end of the 2026 season, and his stock took a big hit in 2025 after falling to 11th in the riders’ standings.
Binder had not finished as low in the championship rankings since his rookie campaign with KTM in 2020, when he also finished 11th. The South African also only scored 155 points last year for his worst return since he scored 151 back in 2021 when there were no Sprint Races.
For the first time in his MotoGP career, Binder also failed to take a single Grand Prix podium in the 2025 campaign. Now, while Pit Beirer has confirmed that KTM “want to keep” Binder, he enters 2026 having to earn a new contract ahead of the 2027 MotoGP regulations cycle.
What do you think of KTM’s bike for the 2026 MotoGP season?
The ‘one thing’ Brad Binder wants to change in 2025 is ‘enjoy riding’ KTM’s MotoGP bike
Binder noted after unveiling KTM’s bike for the 2026 season this Tuesday that he feels “quite confident” that he can make a “good step up” compared to his results in 2025. The two-time Grand Prix winner has also admitted that overthinking his problems was a big issue last year.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Brad Binder from career stats to wife
Potchefstroom native Binder took himself away from what works best in 2025 as he thought too much about how to maximise the RC16’s performance. Binder lost “a lot” of confidence with the front end of KTM’s bike in 2025, and he now hopes to find his natural feeling again.
Binder said during the launch of KTM’s bike for 2026: “The hard moments for me last year were, really, I felt like I really got too involved, maybe, really trying to figure out why I was missing speed.
“I felt like I was thinking the whole time on the motorbike, instead of just letting my natural ability take over. And that’s one thing I want to change for the season, just really enjoy riding the bike a bit more.
“I’m quite confident that after this off-season, that I can make a good step up. To be completely honest, my 2025 season was rough. It was the toughest year I’ve had on a motorcycle. I just really struggled to find speed and comfort.
“It’s funny because at the beginning, it was really rough [and] halfway through rough. But at the end, the results weren’t there, but slowly things started to get a little bit better.
“I’m looking forward to a fresh start again this season, and, hopefully, can get back to the performances that I know I’m capable of.”
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