GASGAS? Brad Binder ‘has a Factory Red Bull KTM contract’ for 2025

KTM motorsport director Pit Beirer raised eyebrows at Barcelona when he declined the chance to stamp out speculation and confirm Brad Binder’s place at the Red Bull KTM team in 2025.

In August last year, Binder, a KTM rider since 2015 and part of its Red Bull-backed factory MotoGP team since his 2020 premier-class debut, extended his contract until 2026.

“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,” Beirer said at the time.

“We couldn’t be happier to put that #33 bike in the box for a few more years to come.”

But as the 2025 MotoGP silly season continues - with key names such as Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez yet to sign - Dorna’s Jack Appleyard asked Beirer if there was any truth to rumours Binder might move from (KTM) ‘orange’ to (GASGAS) ‘red’? 

Or will Binder “100 per cent remain in this [KTM] garage next year?”

“This I really cannot tell you,” Beirer responded.

“Because we see the project as, in our group we have four MotoGP places. And at this stage, we cannot say who is in which position, which side.

“So we just look generally at the four places, and try to make the best out of it.”

Those words suggest the Pierer Mobility Group has the freedom to place Binder - its only MotoGP rider so far signed for 2025 - in either the Red Bull KTM or GASGAS Tech3 team.

However, when asked about the situation, Binder’s manager Bob Moore made clear to Crash.net: 

“Brad has a contract with Factory Red Bull KTM.”

Binder, who took KTM to a new high of fourth in last year’s world championship, is eighth in the present standings, two places and eight points behind GASGAS rookie Pedro Acosta.

The South African’s team-mate Jack Miller is 15th and Acosta’s team-mate Augusto Fernandez 17th.

KTM, which hasn’t won a dry grand prix since Catalunya 2022, is presently in a close fight with Aprilia for second in the manufacturer standings, behind Ducati.