- Brad Binder will continue his pursuit of rhythm at the Catalan GP in Barcelona after a series of frustrating setbacks in recent races.
- The Catalan GP is set for this weekend (15–17 May) at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
- Binder is currently 13th overall with 28 points after five rounds.
The MotoGP 2026 season rolls into its sixth round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend (15–17 May), and for Brad Binder, he will keep hunting for his rhythm after a few frustrating setbacks in the previous races.
He kicked things off with a seventh-place finish in the season opener at the Thailand Grand Prix which was a promising start for the South African international.
But since then, things have gone seriously sideways with the next four outings feeling downright weird for him.
READ MORE: Brad Binder wraps up seventh in MotoGP 2026 opener at Thai Grand Prix
He got a DNF at the Brazil Ayrton Senna race, then finished 12th at the US GP.
He managed a small grip for 11th place in Spain, and last weekend’s outing despite some practice and testing in Jerez, ended with another DNF at the French GP.
ALSO READ: Brad Binder’s near-perfect gamble ends in heartbreak with P4 at rain-soaked Jerez Sprint
It started on Saturday, where the 30-year-old laid down 13 laps in the Sprint, overtaking rivals and sniffing around for chances every lap, even while battling grip issues. He eventually took the checkered flag in 12th.
The disappointing weekend continued on Sunday. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing began the 27-lap afternoon session with Binder lining up in 20th. He charged his way to the edge of the top ten before losing traction into Turn 7 with six laps to go.
Those five rounds have left Binder languishing in 13th place overall with 28 points, and he walked away from France feeling gutted.
“I locked the front wheel going into turn 7 and the change of direction. It was a fast crash. I braked a bit later and with a bit more pressure. It was just too much. Today I was a lot faster but not where I need to be.
The positive is that this morning in warm-up I was quicker and in the race also [than Saturday]. I felt like I was on my way forward. Everything felt easier,” Binder reflected on last weekend’s struggles.
This weekend, all Binder wants is to find his feel again, get back into decent form, rebuild his confidence, and save his MotoGP with KTM for another season – especially after already losing his spot to Di Giannantonio.
But all is not lost for the 2016 Moto3 champion as he prepares for the Catalan MotoGP, the sixth event on the 22-race calendar.
He might still grab a 2027 seat at Tech3. That team looks likely to stick with KTM, despite earlier talks about switching to Honda machinery next season.
KTM is not sitting idle. After digging into the Jerez test and the French GP, they have made a few tweaks to fix the chatter and front push Binder complained about.
New aerodynamics give them better stability in deep leans, plus updates for more traction- which should be perfect for Barcelona’s long, sweeping corners.
Catalan GP Time and Schedule
Friday, May 15:
- Free Practice 1: 11:35 am
- Tests: 3:50 pm
Saturday, May 16
- Free Practice 2: 11:00 am
- Qualifying: 11:45 am
- Sprint: 4:00 pm
Sunday, May 17
- Grand Prix: 3:00 pm