Marco Bezzecchi
KTM have reportedly informed Brad Binder that his deal won’t be renewed for the 2027 season, which would rule out a move to satellite team Tech3.
Binder already knew that he wouldn’t retain his factory ride after the Austrian brand made moves for Gresini’s Alex Marquez and VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
But KTM have seemingly decided to part ways with the South African entirely after seven seasons, rather than offering him a soft landing at their satellite squad.
Will Brad Binder be on the MotoGP grid in 2027?
KTM gave Brad Binder ‘the boot’ at the Catalan GP
As revealed by journalist Manuel Pecino on his YouTube channel, KTM thanked Binder for his ‘services’ during the Catalan Grand Prix weekend and confirmed his expiring contract wouldn’t be extended.
“Oh, by the way, just to wrap things up, I heard that at Montmelo they gave this guy, Brad Binder, the boot,” Pecino said.
“Where will Brad Binder end up? I don’t know, but yesterday they told him, ‘Look, thank you very much for your services,’ which I don’t think surprises anyone too much, does it?”
Who’s going to win the Hungarian Grand Prix?
Just like last season, Binder ranks second among the four KTM riders in the championship, though Pedro Acosta remains a long way clear of the rest.
Based on the latest rumours, only Trackhouse and Pramac have seats available elsewhere, and Binder doesn’t appear to be a front-runner for either of those teams.
Why KTM are wrong to favour Maverick Vinales over Brad Binder
One of the reasons KTM have decided to move on from Binder is their faith in Maverick Vinales. The vision for Tech3 is one experienced rider and one youngster.
Vinales showed promise after joining KTM in the first half of 2025, notching top-five finishes at Jerez, Le Mans and Assen. He also stood on the podium at the Qatar GP before a tyre-pressure penalty.
Before he got injured at the German GP last summer, the Spaniard was 10th in the championship on 69 points, compared to 47 for Binder. He has a superior record in the premier class, and that suggested his ceiling on the RC16 was higher too.
But the problem is that Vinales hasn’t been the same since that injury. Twice he has tried to return before stepping away again due to ongoing shoulder problems.
In eight appearances since his heavy Sachsenring crash, he has only scored eight points. KTM are banking on Vinales returning to his best, but the 31-year-old has been struggling for a year now.
Binder’s form has largely been underwhelming, but if KTM want a veteran at Tech3 who can score consistently, he is ultimately a safer bet than Vinales at this moment in time.
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