Brad Binder is currently enduring the worst season of his MotoGP career so far and cannot seem to string a result together for KTM.
In fact, it has been well over one year since his last podium and his new teammate has scored more than double the points he has in 2025.
After starting the year on decent footing, Binder has slowly regressed and is now just 14th in the MotoGP riders’ championship.
He seems less comfortable than ever on the KTM, which hasn’t been moving forward at the rate that the team would have hoped. They do continue to have one of the best engines.
Binder has been ‘demanding’ one thing from KTM and wants to see action from those back at the factory. They need more inspiration on track.
He’s under contract until the end of 2026, so there is still plenty of time to rectify their current issues. However, the financial woes of the Austrian manufacturer may hinder them.
READ MORE: Brad Binder explains what he must now do to ‘make the leap’ to catch KTM teammate Maverick Vinales
Brad Binder’s KTM crew chief reveals where he has lost ‘confidence’ in their MotoGP bike
With two retirements and a 14th in his last three races, compared to three consecutive top-six finishes from Pedro Acosta, something has to change soon.
The South African rider has always been in the top six of the standings and consistently in the top 10 for his team at most circuits. He’s also very loyal to them and the partnership is in its sixth season.
Now, Andres Madrid, Binder’s crew chief, has revealed exactly where he has been struggling with KTM’s bike recently.
“In our opinion, it all started with the new rear tire technology that Michelin introduced in 2024,” he told SPEEDWEEK.
“From our information and our numbers, we could see that this new tyre behaviour became more pronounced after Qatar (2024) for some reason.
“We’re still trying to find a solution. We’ve tried different approaches, different bike settings, and different components. We’re trying a lot to regain confidence.”
Just how has Brad Binder’s 2025 MotoGP season been so difficult?
Binder said he was ‘lucky’ to avoid a disaster in Qatar, and suffered a late mechanical failure during the race. He also suffered one at the Grand Prix of Americas.
But uncharacteristically, he fell to his retirement in Aragon after being inside the top 10 and showing some strong pace.
It will have been a painful outcome for the 29-year-old, who has worked very hard to make improvements this season.
His chance for redemption comes at the upcoming Italian Grand Prix, a track where he has never finished higher than fifth in the premier class.
