KTM on alert: the 'Binder conundrum' continues—disappointing results and a contract nearing expiration

Brad Binder lost: shocking gap with Acosta and Bastianini, KTM won’t wait much longer...

We can now officially call it “Who Has Seen Him.” But where has Brad Binder gone? We knew him as KTM’s cornerstone, years ago given a multi-year contract precisely because he had proven to be the solid point of reference for the Austrian brand in MotoGP. But for quite a while now, it’s unclear what’s happening to the 2016 Moto3 world champion from South Africa, who has become an invisible figure in the premier class of the World Championship. And with his deal expiring at the end of this season, his seat is more at risk than ever, as evidenced by the fact that amid the market chaos, his name hasn’t even been mentioned...

Already at the end of last year we mentioned the “Binder riddle”. The 2026 MotoGP season, however, has started along the same lines, and his post-Austin GP comments say a lot: “It was a very long race, I couldn’t find the right rhythm all weekend. I had vibrations at the start and they kept getting worse, especially at lean. I didn’t expect that. Two 12th places are absolutely not enough. We have a lot of work to do to improve ahead of Jerez.” After finishing the Sprint out of the points, Brad Binder was by far the worst KTM rider in the main race, as the final standings from the Texas weekend make clear.

His teammate Pedro Acosta finished on the podium, 3 seconds behind the winner; Enea Bastianini of Tech3 took 6th, 8 seconds from Bezzecchi’s triumph (and let’s remember Viñales’ absence due to physical issues). The South African, on the other hand, finished 12th, a full 22 seconds behind the rider from Romagna on the top step of the Aprilia podium. Certainly KTM isn’t the best bike in MotoGP, but it’s not the worst either. The gap between Binder and the other riders is obvious and a real question mark. In three GPs he finished in the points twice only in Thailand, then had a double zero in Brazil, and finally scored points only in the United States GP but far from the leaders. A swift course correction is needed; time is ticking and KTM must make its choices, with or without its former reference point.