Brad Binder will work with the new team leader in the 2026 MotoGP season as KTM hires Phil Maron after helping Torak Razgatlioglu lift three World Superbike titles.
KTM He moved to hire Marron to help binding In the year He bounced back in 2026 after producing the worst year of his MotoGP career in 2025. The 30-year-old failed to take the Grand Prix podium for the first time in the premier class season, finishing 11th with 155 points.
Razgatlioglu The 29-year-old wanted to team up with Marrone in MotoGP in 2026 as he started in the premier class after joining. Pramak Two years on the factory Yamaha Contract. But Pramak rejected Razgatlioglu’s offer to hire Marro. In favor of the experienced Alberto Giribuola.
Marron has worked with Razgatlioglu in the World Superbike Championship since 2019, and they will remain together after the Turkish rider joins the Yamaha WSBK team in 2020 and BMW in 2024. However, Pramac feels that Marron last raced in MotoGP in 2016.
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Brad Binder finds Phil Marron’s work style as new KTM team leader ‘extremely entertaining’.
Marron last worked in MotoGP in 2015 and 2016 as Eugene Laverty’s crew chief. He has also worked with riders over the years including John McGuinness, Michael Laverty, Guy Martin and Sam Lowes. And Marron’s work style immediately left a positive impression on Binder.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Brad Binder from career stats to wife
The Northern Irishman has joined Binder’s side in the KTM garage for the 2025 post-season MotoGP Valencia test. Marrone is the first new crew chief since Andrés Madrid took over as Binder when the South African debuted in Moto2 in 2017.
“Andres has been my crew chief since 2017, (and) before that he was my information guy in Moto3. So, I think we have our system, and it’s been like that for the best part of 10 years,” Binder said at the KTM 2026 bike launch on Tuesday.
“So it’s definitely going to be fun to start with someone new. It was great to have Phil on the final test, and he’s a really great guy.”
“It’s been really interesting to see his style. He’s really to the point, simple, less involved in the information, more on what I’m talking about.”
“So it looks great. I’m really excited to start with him in Malaysia. And fingers crossed, we can have a great season together.”
Phil Marrone’s style of work could be perfect for Brad Binder after his disastrous 2025.
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He served as Binder’s data engineer when Madrid won the 2016 Moto3 title, and guided the South African to second in the 2019 Moto2 standings and then his first six years in MotoGP. But after KTM delivered its worst campaign since 2020, KTM felt it was time for a change.
Binder immediately felt it was “obvious” that Maroon “really knew” what he was doing. The couple will work together for the first time at the 2025 Valencia test. Madrid, meanwhile, moved to KTM Tech3 to work with Enya Bastianini in 2026 after Giribuola left to work under Razgatlioglu.
KTM Marron hopes that the impact will pay off, as Binder admitted that he was “very involved” in trying to figure out why the “velocity was gone” in 2025. Marrone’s style of play should be a huge asset, as Binder believes his problems stemmed from overthinking his issues last season.
