Brad Binder can’t ignore It: Pit Beirer’s Vinales comment signals the end

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Vinales’ backer could lure Binder away from MotoGP

If Maverick Vinales becomes the “second leader” for KTM’s Tech3 squad, as hoped by motorsport director Pit Beirer, it could open the door for Brad Binder to make a switch to World Superbikes in 2027.

Binder’s future in MotoGP is far from secure. His contract with KTM runs out after the 2026 season, and he hasn’t shown enough so far this year to justify a new deal—at least not one that would keep him with the factory team.

Since joining KTM’s MotoGP effort in 2020, Binder has largely been at the centre of their project. But his form dipped noticeably when Pedro Acosta arrived in 2025, marking what was statistically his worst season to date.

Acosta has also noticed that Binder has found it hard going on the RC16 this season.

Pit Beirer sees Maverick Vinales as KTM’s potential “second team leader” after shoulder injury

Beirer has also acknowledged that KTM isn’t where it wants to be with Binder, Vinales, or Enea Bastianini. Vinales had a difficult start to the 2026 season after a screw from his left shoulder surgery in July came loose and began to cause tendon issues.

Beirer remains confident in Vinales despite the injury setback, and now wants the 31-year-old to step into a bigger role behind Acosta. There are reports that KTM may have delayed plans for Vinales’ promotion to the factory team in 2027.

Speaking about Viñales’ recovery and role within the team, Beirer added:

“At the Sepang test, he was totally fine,” Beirer noted, via Motorsport.com. “No pain, happy again and had a big smile on his face. And just weeks later, slowly he lost strength again, the movement became less, and we couldn’t really explain why and what.

“But then we found out that suddenly his screw is starting to move and coming out of the bone. The boy is not lucky, and with that comes for us a frustrating time, because we want to finally prove with Maverick we can do it. And still, it looks like we need to wait for that…

“But yes, we believe in Maverick, and we want him to come back and prove to us that he will be the right guy to be our second team leader.”

Why Brad Binder should start considering a World Superbikes switch for 2027

With Vinales’ ongoing shoulder issues still holding up his move to the main KTM squad, and Alex Marquez expected to join soon, Beirer’s support for the Tech3 rider might be the signal Binder needs to consider stepping away from MotoGP.

Over the past few seasons, Binder has steadily lost ground in the MotoGP pecking order. There’s even talk that KTM could shift him over to Tech3 in 2027. However, even that safety net is looking shaky now that Honda are close to persuading Tech3 to leave KTM behind.

If Tech3 do make the jump to Honda and Vinales recovers well enough to fulfil Beirer’s expectations, Binder could be left without a spot entirely. It might be time for him to accept that his MotoGP run is winding down and start thinking about what comes next.

A move to World Superbikes could give Binder a chance to hit reset and keep his career going on two wheels. The upcoming 2027 MotoGP regulations might look appealing as a fresh start, but it’s hard to see where he’d fit in at this stage.