Brad Binder extends KTM MotoGP contract to 2026
Brad Binder and KTM have extended their MotoGP deal until the end of the 2026 season, making a two-year extension on top of their current contract.
Brad Binder will remain with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in MotoGP until at least the end of 2026, following the signing of a contract extension.
Binder’s current contract with KTM has him with the Austrian brand until the end of 2024, so there was little desperation to get this contract signed.
Announced on the Saturday of the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, that the extension has been signed so long before Binder’s current deal is up is perhaps a sign of confidence from both parties in their partnership.
Brad Binder said: “A massive thank you to KTM and the management for trusting in me and for letting me be involved in this incredible program for a few more years. We are coming very close to what we want to achieve on the track but I cannot say enough good things about the team and my crew. 2015 and those first KTM races feel like a long time ago! But also time passes quickly and we’ve made some special memories. I know there is a lot more to come and cannot wait to build those stories. Thanks again.”
Francesco Guidotti, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager, added: “Brad is a rock of our team and it is great news that he will stay even longer with us. We’ve been building a relationship and a project for a long time now. He brings a winning spirit to our box but also stability and an important understanding of KTM. He is always an exciting rider to watch and a fantastic guy to work with. I want to thank him for his belief in us and for how we’ve pushed together to this point so far. There is still so much potential to come.”
Pit Beirer, KTM Motorsports Director, said: “Keeping Brad at the sharp point of our MotoGP program was a big priority for us. We love everything about this guy: he is an all-out racer and leaves everything on the track. Brad is a valued part of the family and his character and the way he is around the box, the fans and the company makes him the ideal ambassador for us. We’ve already achieved and experienced so much together, and it makes us very proud that he wants to continue on our RC16 and stay in orange. We couldn’t be happier to put that #33 bike in the box for a few more years to come.”
The first year of Binder’s new extension, 2025, will mark 10 years since he joined KTM in the Ajo team for the 2015 Moto3 season. The year after, he won the Moto3 World Championship aboard the Austrian brand’s RC250GP, meaning what is now the final year of Binder’s KTM MotoGP deal, 2026, will mark 10 years since his and KTM’s first (so far only) world title together.