Marco Bezzecchi
As Brad Binder looks down the barrel of an exit from MotoGP at the end of the 2026 campaign, former rider Neil Hodgson has identified the South African’s form in qualifying as something he must improve on to have a chance at keeping his seat.
The MotoGP rider market for the 2027 season is already in full swing, and seats are filling up fast. Alex Rins has already been stung by Yamaha due to their haste, and Brad Binder could fall foul of the same thing.
The only thing that Binder can do at this moment in time is improve his results and show that he is still capable of performing at the highest level amongst the world’s best riders on two wheels.
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With the MotoGP grid now in Jerez for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, it offers the 30-year-old an opportunity to do exactly that.
During the first free practice session of the weekend at Jerez, Binder claimed the 12th fastest time. While he was some seven-tenths off the pace of Fabio Di Giannantonio’s benchmark, his slight one-tenth deficit to Acosta can be seen as encouraging.
- READ MORE: Brad Binder must accept his MotoGP career is over after hearing how Pit Beirer sees Maverick Vinales
Neil Hodgson says Brad Binder must fix his ‘weak’ qualifying form
During TNT Sports’ coverage of FP1 at the Spanish Grand Prix, commentators Gavin Emmett and Neil Hodgson discussed the factors that have led to Binder’s place on the MotoGP grid being thrown into jeopardy.
Emmett began by highlighting how Binder’s name hasn’t popped up much in the rumour mill. Seats are already filling up fast, and it has been reported that KTM have already made a decision on their rider line-up for the 2027 campaign.
He then identified Friday afternoon’s pre-qualifying practice session as Binder’s area of improvement, as well as his overall form over a single lap.
Will Brad Binder be on the MotoGP grid in 2027?
Hodgson agreed and added his own thoughts on what the South African must do to secure his spot on the grid for MotoGP’s new era of regulations. He said, “Yeah, that will be basically what he’s been known for in MotoGP a little bit.
“But then, obviously, we’ve all seen Pedro Acosta; he’s incredible in qualifying. And because he’s so good at qualifying, that gives him a chance in the races. For Brad, it’s been such an Achilles heel for him.
“He’s weak in qualifying, and think of how fast he’s been in the races over the past 4 years, he always goes forward, super aggressive. But you’re right, his weekends are sort of shot on a Friday, he’s never directly through to Q2, and he’s missed out on so many occasions.
“He’s one of the riders who hasn’t got a ride confirmed yet for next year, so right now pressure is building. He has to make sure that he’s certainly inside the top 10. Otherwise, he might be sat out.”
Brad Binder doesn’t have a plan B in MotoGP if KTM choose to replace him
It’s fairly safe to say that the future isn’t looking too bright for Binder in MotoGP, and an exit from the factory KTM team could spell the end of his tenure in the premier class.
It has been reported that Binder doesn’t have a backup plan if Mattighofen have, in fact, pulled the trigger on signing Alex Marquez and promoting Maverick Vinales up from Tech3.
The only saving grace for the South African at the moment comes from Vinales’ poor start to 2026. It’s understood that KTM have now ‘suspended’ the agreement with the Tech3 rider, which could allow Binder a route back if he’s successful in turning his woes around.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Binder. An exit would be a big blow to fans, given his status as one of the most popular riders amongst keen spectators.
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