Marco Bezzecchi
KTM could field an all-new factory line-up in the 2027 MotoGP season, as Brad Binder faces an uncertain future despite the expectations that Pedro Acosta is joining Ducati.
Acosta and Binder are both due to be out of contract at KTM at the end of the 2026 season. But while the Austrian crew are preparing themselves for the likelihood that Acosta will join Ducati next year, the team are not currently in a rush to lock Binder down for the long-term.
It is said that Acosta rejected interest from Honda to sign with Ducati, and he will now move to Borgo Panigale on a two-year contract from 2027. KTM already have their replacement in mind, as well, as Maverick Vinales is expected to move up from Tech3 into the factory outfit.
KTM have already told Vinales that he will join their works MotoGP team in 2027, as well, as they discussed his future in October. Vinales impressed KTM’s bosses with his initial results on the RC16 after joining Tech3 in 2025, before a shoulder injury then derailed his campaign.
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Maverick Vinales would welcome Alex Marquez if KTM replace Brad Binder in 2027
KTM may also look to replace Binder in 2027, with Gresini rider Alex Marquez now emerging on their radar. That is according to GPOne, which claims that KTM could be an option for the 29-year-old if he wants to move into a factory MotoGP team for the next phase of his career.
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Ducati will give Marquez a factory-spec 2026 bike at Gresini as a reward for finishing second to his brother, Marc Marquez, in the standings in 2025. But the Cervera native is exclusively under contract to satellite team Gresini, and his deal is also set to expire at the end of 2025.
KTM appreciate what the younger Marquez brother achieved in 2025, and may now look to create an all-Spanish line-up in 2027 with Vinales. Figueres native Vinales would be ‘happy’ to have Marquez as his teammate at KTM in 2027, should the team elect to replace Binder.
Alex Marquez had his career-best season in the worst year of Brad Binder’s MotoGP career
Prove them wrong: KTM think Maverick Vinales is the best replacement for Pedro Acosta
Binder believes Vinales is an “incredible rider” and has also backed the Spaniard to be even better in 2026 after hiring Jorge Lorenzo as his performance coach. The three-time MotoGP champion will support his Spanish compatriot with physical, strategic and technical aspects.
But Binder will also need to be a lot better in 2026 if he is to convince KTM to sign him to a new contract. Binder admits 2025 was the “toughest year” he has ever had on a motorcycle after producing the worst season of his MotoGP career, which has left his KTM future at risk.
Binder fell to 11th in the standings with 155 points, as he failed to take a Grand Prix podium in a MotoGP season for the first time. Acosta was the top KTM rider in 2025 with 307 points for P4 in the standings, while Marquez ranked P2 with Gresini on a year-old Ducati with 467.
Also, Marquez secured his first MotoGP Grand Prix win at the 2025 Spanish GP, and ended the year with further wins in Catalunya and Malaysia. Only Marc Marquez took more wins in 2025 than his younger sibling with 11, and no KTM rider scored a Grand Prix victory in 2025.
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