Brad Binder’s seven-year tenure as a Red Bull KTM rider will come to an end after the 2026 MotoGP season.
Binder was desperate to keep his seat in 2027 alongside new signing Alex Marquez, who will replace factory Ducati-bound Pedro Acosta, but has lost out to Fabio Di Giannantonio. The VR46 Ducati rider has risen up to third in the title race after last weekend’s French Grand Prix and was in high demand among several teams.
Binder on the other hand slipped to 13th in the championship after leaving Le Mans with no points. Reports suggest that he even knew before the start of the main race in France that he had officially lost his factory KTM seat to Di Giannantonio.
Still hope for Brad Binder
All is not lost for the 30-year-old 2016 Moto3 champion as he prepares for the Catalan MotoGP this weekend, the sixth event on the 22-race calendar. He might still get a 2027 seat at Tech3. The team looks to stay with KTM after previous talks that they are considering Honda machinery next season.
Trackhouse, who swops out Aprilia for Honda in 2027, is also looking at Binder.
Either way, Binder still need to find some kind of form to secure a premier class ride for next season, starting with more one-lap pace. He has only made it through to Q2 once in five races this year, which means he had to start from 13th or lower on the grid at four events.
Martin the man to beat
Heading the title race ahead of Catalunya is factory Aprilia pair Marco Bezzecchi (128 points) and Jorge Martin (127). Martin, the 2024 champion, looks to be in ominous form after dashing to a double win at Le Mans and will he hard to beat in front of a Spanish crowd.
Another South African looking to catch a break this weekend is Moto3 rider Ruché Moodley. The teenager is yet to score a point in 2026.
The MotoGP sprint race takes place at 3pm on Saturday and the main race at 2pm on Sunday. The Moto3 race starts at 11am on Sunday.
