South African motorcycle racing star Brad Binder will open a new chapter in his career in 2027 after BMW Motorrad confirmed that he will join its factory team in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK).
The 30-year-old will race for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team alongside Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira, bringing his six-year stint in MotoGP to an end. The move represents a significant change for Binder, whose international racing career has become closely associated with KTM.
Binder joined KTM’s Moto3 programme in 2015 and won the 2016 Moto3 World Championship aboard a KTM before progressing to Moto2. He remained within the Austrian manufacturer’s racing structure when he graduated to MotoGP with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in 2020. He delivered KTM its first MotoGP victory at the Czech Grand Prix during his rookie season and has since accumulated two premier-class victories and nine further podium finishes.
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His move to BMW will also reunite him with former teammate Oliveira. The pair raced alongside each other at various stages across Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport head Sven Blusch said Binder’s determination to compete for the WorldSBK title was among the qualities that attracted the manufacturer.
“His goal is clear: he wants to fight for the World Championship title,” Blusch said, while acknowledging Binder would first have to adapt to the BMW M 1000 RR and a different championship.
Binder will replace Italian rider Danilo Petrucci, whose involvement in BMW’s WorldSBK programme will conclude after the 2026 season. BMW said it was exploring opportunities to continue working with Petrucci elsewhere. The move will see Binder swap MotoGP machinery for production-based superbike racing and begin his first WorldSBK campaign in 2027.
For South African motorsport fans, it also marks the end of a lengthy Binder-KTM partnership that delivered a world championship and victories at the highest level of motorcycle racing.
- Brad Binder will join the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in the FIM Superbike World Championship starting in 2027.
- Binder will race alongside Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira, reuniting with his former teammate.
- Binder ended his six-year MotoGP career with KTM, where he earned two MotoGP wins and nine podiums.
- He replaces Danilo Petrucci on BMW’s WorldSBK team, with Petrucci leaving the program after the 2026 season.
- Binder aims to compete for the WorldSBK title and will need to adapt to the BMW M 1000 RR and the new championship format.
READ: BMW Motorrad unveils ultra-exclusive M 1000 RR Isle of Man TT edition
His move to BMW will also reunite him with former teammate Oliveira.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport head Sven Blusch said
“His goal is clear: he wants to fight for the World
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