Marco Bezzecchi
Brad Binder’s hopes of staying on the MotoGP grid for the 2027 season have faded almost completely, but until contracts are signed, he’s still in the game.
He has already lost his KTM seat, with moves for Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio likely to be announced in the coming days. The only alternative, it appears, is satellite team Tech3.
Enea Bastianini is headed to Trackhouse, while Maverick Vinales’ relationship with KTM seems to have become extremely strained based on recent media outbursts. Vinales is furious over an apparent u-turn on a factory offer and a lack of clarity on his future.
Luca Marini could move to LCR if Johann Zarco can’t race – potentially saving Brad Binder
It’s believed that Guenther Steiner wants an experienced, dependable rider to partner a youngster. Based on reports over the Assen weekend, Luca Marini and Senna Agius have been chosen by Tech3.
However, according to Motosprint, there’s still one scenario where the unseated Marini stays within the Honda orbit. LCR rider Johann Zarco is under contract but the severity of the knee and ankle injuries he sustained in Barcelona has raised doubt about his future.
A report earlier this month suggested Zarco is unlikely to race for LCR next year, which could force the team to find a replacement late on. Soon to turn 36, the French rider still hasn’t had surgery.
Will Brad Binder be on the MotoGP grid in 2027?
Motosprint say that Marini could be a ‘candidate’ for LCR if Zarco decides to retire. The other three seats will be filled by Fabio Quartararo, Diogo Moreira and David Alonso.
That would leave Steiner without the veteran rider he is seeking, potentially presenting a lifeline to Binder if Vinales has burned bridges. Previously a Tech3 target, Raul Fernandez has chosen to stay at Trackhouse.
Franco Morbidelli, Alex Rins and Jack Miller are on the market too, but Binder is already in the KTM stable and, going by points, has been the second-best RC16 rider since the start of last season. He is the standout back-up.
It’s a complicated scenario that is unlikely to play out, but it might just be Binder’s only hope.
Manuel Gonzalez’s WSBK talks show Senna Agius is locked in at Tech3
On the other side of the Tech3 garage, Agius’ path looks clear. He was competing with Moto2 teammate Manuel Gonzalez for the spot but seems to have prevailed.
Motosprint’s report states that Gonzalez is now speaking to World Superbike teams, with Honda and BMW his most likely destinations.
One can assume that he has switched focus after hearing that Agius has been chosen for Tech3. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see ousted MotoGP riders like Miller, Morbidelli or even Binder follow him to the WSBK championship next year.
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