Brad Binder finds his spark at the Red Bull Ring with season-best sixth

Brad Binder secured his best finish of the 2026 MotoGP season after taking sixth place at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring.

The South African, who had saved KTM’s points haul on Saturday by coming ninth in the Sprint race, fought his way through from 11th on the grid to claim a season-high sixth place.

World champion Marc Marquez finished immediately ahead of him, but Binder was even able to slip past the Ducati star following a mistake before being overtaken himself by Fermín Aldeguer on the Gresini Ducati.

In the end, Binder won the battle against Aldeguer, securing his best result of the season so far after finishing seventh at both the season opener in Thailand and in Barcelona.

ALSO READ: Brad Binder to leave MotoGP for BMW WorldSBK move in 2027

The late-braker, who famously secured that legendary victory on slicks on a damp track in August 2021, finished just over eight seconds behind his teammate Pedro Acosta who claimed his first win.

“Overall, I’d say it was a successful weekend here at the Red Bull Ring, and I’m happy to have got my best finish of the year. I would have liked to have been a bit further up the grid, but I did my best. Happy with the pace we were able to put together and happy with the work by the team. Well done to them, and also to Pedro on his first victory; I’m sure it’s the first of many,” Binder summed up the enlightening weekend.

Binder’s improvement comes just days after he was unveiled as a new rider for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in 2027.

Binder and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are parting ways ahead of the 2027 MotoGP season.

ALSO READ: Brad Binder wraps up seventh in MotoGP 2026 opener at Thai Grand Prix

After two difficult seasons marked by poor pace and inconsistent results, KTM decided to rebuild its project and did not renew Binder’s contract, leaving him without a seat.

Fabio Di Giannantonio will take over his factory RC16 ride, while Binder moves to WorldSBK to continue his career.

Binder will leave MotoGP after seven seasons in the premier class and join BMW as a factory rider, where he will race alongside his former teammate Miguel Oliveira.

The pair previously shared a garage across four different classes, spanning the 125cc World Championship, Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022.

The racing driver, who is also backed by leading gaming firm SportPesa, has endured a highly frustrating 2026 MotoGP season and currently occupies 13th place in the World Championship standings with 94 points.

There are seven rounds remaining in the 22-race 2026 championship calendar, with the 31-year-old aiming to close out his MotoGP career on a high note.

ALSO READ: Brad Binder climbs 10 places to secure eighth in British Grand Prix

Brad Binder’s complete race results for the 15 rounds completed so far in the 2026 MotoGP World Championship:

• Thailand (Chang Circuit) – 7^th
• Brazil (Goiânia) – DNF
• Americas (Austin) – 12^th
• Spain (Jerez) – 11^th
• France (Le Mans) – DNF
• Catalonia (Barcelona) – 7^th
• Italy (Mugello) – 11^th
• Hungary (Balaton Park) – 10^th
• Czechia (Brno) – 12^th
• Netherlands (Assen) – 11^th
• Germany (Sachsenring) – 10^th
• Great Britain (Silverstone) – 8^th
• Aragon (Ciudad del Motor de Aragón) – 10^th
• San Marino (Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli) – 11^th
• Austria (Red Bull Ring) – 6^th