Binder will join BMW’s WorldSBK team after KTM MotoGP exit
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 10, 2026
Binder joins BMW
Brad Binder will join BMW’s factory WorldSBK team in 2027, a move that gives BMW a MotoGP rider as it prepares for a new phase. Binder will leave KTM’s factory MotoGP team after seven seasons at the end of 2026 and will replace Danilo Petrucci in BMW’s WorldSBK lineup. BMW will also put him alongside former KTM teammate Miguel Oliveira, so the team will have a familiar pairing as Binder begins his first WorldSBK campaign. BMW has won the last two WorldSBK titles. Binder described the change as “a new adventure” and said he is excited to “start from zero.” He also said he still has half a season left in MotoGP, so the switch waits until his current work in the series is done.
Binder’s MotoGP record
Binder’s move ends a long run in the grand prix paddock, where he has spent most of his career since starting in the 125cc class in 2011. He has won two MotoGP races for KTM, and his best grand prix result is seventh. Binder is 13th in the 2026 standings. It says he struggled to adapt to Michelin’s super-grippy rear tire, a challenge that shaped part of his grand prix run. That detail matters because Michelin will become the tire supplier in 2027, the same year Binder joins BMW. The move gives him a fresh championship, but it also keeps him tied to a tire brand he already knows from MotoGP.
Michelin shapes BMW
BMW sees Binder’s experience as part of its approach to the 2027 season. The company views his MotoGP background and his familiarity with Michelin tires as major strengths ahead of WorldSBK’s switch to Michelin in 2027. That makes his arrival more than a routine rider change. He comes in at the same time the series changes tire suppliers, and BMW said the pairing gives the team strong potential after back-to-back titles. Binder’s own words point to a clean break and a new start, but the facts around the move show continuity too. He is leaving KTM after a long stay, yet he is carrying two MotoGP wins, a decade-plus of grand prix experience and a reset with BMW, which has won the last two WorldSBK titles.
