Marco Bezzecchi
Brad Binder will work with a new crew chief in the 2026 MotoGP season, as KTM have hired Phil Marron after he helped Toprak Razgatlioglu lift three World Superbike titles.
KTM moved to hire Marron to help Binder bounce back in 2026 after he produced the worst year of his MotoGP career so far in 2025. The 30-year-old failed to take a Grand Prix podium in a premier class season for the first time, as he ranked 11th in the standings on 155 points.
Razgatlioglu wanted Marron to work with him in MotoGP in 2026, as the 29-year-old debuts in the premier class after joining Pramac on a two-year factory Yamaha contract. But Pramac refused Razgatlioglu’s request to hire Marron in favour of the experienced Alberto Giribuola.
Marron had worked with Razgatlioglu in the World Superbike Championship since 2019, and they remained together after the Turkish rider joined Yamaha’s WSBK crew in 2020 and then BMW in 2024. Yet Pramac felt Marron having last worked in MotoGP in 2016 was a problem.
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Brad Binder finds Phil Marron’s working style as his new KTM crew chief ‘super fun’
Marron last worked in MotoGP as Eugene Laverty’s crew chief in 2015 and 2016. He has also worked with riders including John McGuinness, Michael Laverty, Guy Martin and Sam Lowes over the years. And Marron’s working style immediately left a positive impression on Binder.
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The Northern Irishman first joined Binder’s side of the KTM garage for the 2025 post-season MotoGP Valencia test. Marron is the first new crew chief that Binder has worked with since Andres Madrid stepped up to the role as the South African debuted in Moto2 back in 2017.
Binder said during KTM’s 2026 bike launch on Tuesday: “I had Andres as my crew chief since 2017, [and] before that he was my data guy in Moto3. So, I think we have our system, and it’s been like that for the best part of 10 years.
“So, starting fresh with someone new is going to be interesting, for sure. It was cool to meet Phil at the last test, and he’s really an awesome guy.
“It’s been super fun to see his working style. He seems to be really to the point, easy going, not too involved in the data, more in what I say.
“So, it looks cool. I’m really looking forward to getting started with him in Malaysia. And, fingers crossed, we can put together a great season.”
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Madrid served as Binder’s data engineer as he won the 2016 Moto3 title, and he guided the South African to second in the 2019 Moto2 standings and then his first six years in MotoGP. But KTM felt it was time for a change after Binder produced his worst campaign since 2020.
Binder immediately felt it was “clear” that Marron “really knows” what he is doing when the pair first worked together at the 2025 Valencia test. Madrid, meanwhile, has moved to KTM Tech3 to work beside Enea Bastianini in 2026 after Giribuola left to work under Razgatlioglu.
KTM will hope Marron’s influence pays off, as Binder admits he was “too involved” in trying to figure out why he was “missing speed” in 2025. Marron’s working style should be a huge asset, given Binder believes his problems stemmed from overthinking his issues last season.
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