KTM have now given the clearest indication that they are going to leave the Austrian team with a full MotoGP outfit after Brad Binder asked Pedro Acosta to test their 850cc bike in Brno.
Sweeper faces an uncertain future KTM His contract is set to expire at the end of the current season. The 30-year-old has been racing for KTM since 2015, while in Moto3, but his results in recent MotoGP campaigns have raised questions over the Orange’s outlook.
The South African’s performance on the KTM RC16 has raised doubts about his place in the team, especially after Acosta joins the factory team in 2025. Acosta won 22-0 binding Qualifying last year and holds an 8-0 margin this year.
Acosta He is fourth in the 2026 riders’ standings ahead of this weekend’s Czech Grand Prix with 132 points and three podiums to his name. Binder, on the other hand, is only 13th on 48 points and his best P7 result leaves him just behind Tech 3’s Innea Bastianini.
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KTM asked Pedro Acosta, not Brad Binder, to test their 850cc bike in Brno.
However, even with him, the public secret in the paddock Ducati Acosta signed for 2027With the decision to replace the Italian giant Francesco Bagnaia, KTM 850 cc bike next season seems to trust the Spaniard to try a control upgrade more than they trust Binder now.
Read more: The best moments of Brad Binder’s MotoGP career
report by As Acosta asked KTM to test the 850cc bike they are currently working on at next Monday’s test in Brno. The 22-year-old was ‘delighted’ to accept KTM’s offer of a ride as it would give him the chance to test the tires Pirelli is developing ahead of his debut.
Pirelli will replace Michelin as MotoGP’s sole tire supplier from 2027 as the series undergoes several changes, including banning ride height devices and introducing wider aerodynamic restrictions. The biggest legal adjustment is to reduce the engine capacity from 1,000 to 850cc.
Monday is the first official test for MotoGP riders to test their own brand’s 850cc machines. So it was thought that teams would bar any rider prepared to switch brands from taking part.
Aprilia is expected to test exclusively in Brno with Marco Bezecici, while Yamaha is set to back test rider Augusto Fernandez and Pramac star Torak Razgatlioglu. The Turkish ace is the only full-time racing rider set to stay with Yamaha. However, KTM doesn’t seem to follow suit.
Complete the sentence: In 2027, Brad Binder will…
LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello believes it’s worth it when riders test the 850cc bikes for the team that will release them.Like Fabio Quattararo before his expected switch from Yamaha to Honda. Even a racing driver on the way out can provide valuable information to a team.
But KTM asking Acosta to Ducati to test their much-anticipated 850cc bike is a clear sign that the Austrian crew is ready to release Binder from their full title. The two-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner doesn’t seem to have been reduced to Tech3.
Although Acosta will test their 850cc bike in Brno next Monday, KTM’s decision may not come as much of a surprise to Binder. Reports came out in early June KTM has already told Binder it won’t get a new contract. And that the future will be somewhere else.
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