NEIL HODGSON SAYS BRAD BINDER MAY FACE A TOUGH TRANSITION TO BMW IN WORLD SUPERBIKES

Brad Binder’s next step is set to be one of the biggest tests of his career. After several difficult seasons in MotoGP, the South African rider will leave the premier class for WorldSBK in 2027, joining BMW. The move comes after a period in which Binder has struggled to find the consistency that once defined his results: his last MotoGP win dates back to 2021, and his most recent podium was in 2024. While his race pace has often been strong enough to keep him scoring points, the picture has been less encouraging overall, and he has also faced a clear competitive gap to KTM teammate Pedro Acosta since Acosta arrived in 2025.

Neil Hodgson believes Binder may have “his work cut out” when he switches to BMW, pointing to how different the machine can be. Speaking on TNT Sports 2 during the San Marino GP, Hodgson said: “Brad Binder might have his work cut out next year. That BMW is… it’s a particular bike.” He added context for why the challenge could be amplified by the transition, noting that BMW’s success in WorldSBK has come with Toprak Razgatlioglu, who won the 2025 world championship.

Hodgson’s warning also reflects the wider situation around BMW in the current WorldSBK campaign. BMW’s form has dipped since Razgatlioglu’s departure, with Oliveira sitting 11th in the standings in 2026. Both Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci have missed significant time due to injury, and even when they have been able to race, consistency has been an issue—Oliveira has recorded four third-place finishes, while Petrucci has not managed a top-five result.

The transition is not only about adapting to a new team and bike, but also about a major technical change in the championship. WorldSBK will move from Pirelli tyres to Michelin in 2027, a shift that Hodgson suggested could “transform everything” in the series. Gavin Emmett raised the question of how the Michelins might alter the competitive balance, and Hodgson responded: “Yeah, that’s going to transform everything in World Super bikes, isn’t it?”

Binder’s own MotoGP struggles have included tyre-related problems, particularly with rear grip, alongside poor qualifying pace. That makes the Michelin switch a potentially high-stakes factor in his adaptation to BMW.

Binder’s 2027 move is also tied to KTM’s reshuffle: he will replace Petrucci, and will pair with Miguel Oliveira, the same rider he shared a garage with in MotoGP from 2021 to 2022. KTM’s broader changes for 2027 include Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio joining the Austrian manufacturer, as Acosta is set to move to Ducati.