Ex-WSBK team boss voices his one concern about Brad Binder joining the series

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A former World Superbikes team manager has stressed the importance of ‘desire’ in the series amid rumours that Brad Binder could be the latest MotoGP rider to make the switch.

Binder’s future is in doubt after KTM recruited Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio to form a brand-new factory line-up.

With little indication of interest from elsewhere, his only hope seems to be a KTM satellite ride, but Maverick Vinales could partner a young rider at Tech3 instead.

Does Brad Binder have the hunger to succeed in World Superbikes?

When a MotoGP veteran loses their seat, they typically have three main options: move to another series like Superbikes, become a test rider or retire altogether.

A year after Miguel Oliveira joined WSBK when Yamaha let him go, talk of Binder following suit is inevitable. The same is true of Oliveira’s former teammate Jack Miller, who may soon be deemed surplus to requirements himself.

Will Brad Binder be on the MotoGP grid in 2027?

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Speaking on Manuel Pecino’s YouTube channel, former Honda WSBK chief Jose Manuel Escamez suggested that Miller would be a ‘perfect fit’ for the series as the ‘only’ rider determined to carry on racing.

Escamez is familiar with Binder from his days in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, but he’s unsure whether the 30-year-old South African still has the same fire within him.

Asked which MotoGP rider he would sign, excluding Marc Marquez, Escamez replied: “Miller, because he has a riding style that I think would be a perfect fit for Superbike, because he’s a very talented rider, and because he’s the only one I see who’s eager to keep racing.

When it was put to him that Binder was a strong candidate too, he replied: “Yes, yes, Binder too. I’ve known Binder since he was a kid because I was with him when he was doing the Red Bull Rookies and he’s a very brave rider.

“It’s also true that, well, with age things look different and maybe he doesn’t feel like it as much, but I get the feeling that Miller is one of those who’s eager to race, you know?

“Here, it’s often more about desire than anything else. Do you feel like it or not? Yes. Okay, well, that’s the most important thing.”

The implication is that riders who simply view WSBK as a career safety net are likely to be swallowed up by hungrier competitors. Of course, MotoGP pedigree doesn’t offer any guarantees of a seat either, with a limited number of vacancies.

Nicolo Bulega’s impending move to VR46 will open up the most coveted spot at Ducati, but that will likely go to an Italian rider, potentially Franco Morbidelli in a straight swap.