Brad Binder is set to embark on a major new chapter in his career. After seven seasons in MotoGP with KTM, the standout South African rider will leave the Mattighofen factory to join BMW Motorrad in WorldSBK for 2027, where he will reunite with former teammate Miguel Oliveira.
Binder will replace Danilo Petrucci in the Bavarian squad, rejoining forces with Oliveira. The pair previously shared a garage across four different classes, spanning the 125cc World Championship, Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022.
Eleven-year partnership between Brad Binder and KTM to end
The 2016 Moto3 World Champion made his premier class debut in 2020, securing KTM’s first-ever MotoGP victory during his rookie season at Brno, in the third round of the season. He claimed a second and last-to-date Grand Prix win at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, in 2021.
Over seven seasons in the category, and eleven total years under the KTM banner, Binder has amassed 11 premier class podiums and earned a reputation among his peers as a hard rider to overtake.
Binder’s WorldSBK challenge
Despite his extensive premier class pedigree, Binder will enter WorldSBK as a rookie in 2027. The transition will require adapting to a different calendar featuring “old-school, more stop-start and slow tracks”, where MotoGP does not race, such as Most, Donington Park, Magny-Cours, Cremona, and Estoril.
After spending over a decade with a single manufacturer, the 31-year-old face of KTM will also need to master a completely new machine. While the BMW M 1000 RR reached the summit of WorldSBK with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s championship titles in 2024 and 2025, the German outfit has faced a more demanding campaign this season, betting on Binder and Oliveira pairing up for 2027 to drive machine development back to the front.
BMW Motorrad on signing Brad Binder for WorldSBK 2027
“We are delighted to welcome Brad to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family,” rejoiced Sven Blusch, head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
“What particularly impresses us is his absolute determination to start a new chapter in WorldSBK. His goal is clear. He wants to fight for the World Championship title. First of all, he will need to get accustomed to the BMW M 1000 RR and to a new World Championship, and we are confident that he will do so quickly.
“With Brad and Miguel, two former teammates are reunited who complement each other perfectly, both in terms of their personalities and their riding styles. This combination has great potential. At the same time, we would like to thank Danilo for his tremendous commitment. Together, we want to finish the current season strongly and are working towards a future together in other.
Discussion about this post