Brad Binder “stuck in our ways” before KTM MotoGP crew chief switch

Brad Binder admits he and KTM MotoGP crew chief Andres Madrid, who has now been replaced by Phil Marron, became “stuck in our ways”.

The South African has worked with Andres Madrid since the 2021 season, with the pair enjoying a victory at that year’s Austrian Grand Prix.

However, KTM has elected to pair Brad Binder with former Toprak Razgatlioglu crew chief Phil Marron, who began his role last November in the Valencia test.

Madrid has been moved over to Enea Bastianini’s side of the Tech3 garage, as Alberto Giribuola joins Pramac and Razgatlioglu for 2026.

Change was needed for Binder

Speaking following KTM’s 2026 launch event on Tuesday, Binder admitted he and Madrid became “stuck in our ways”, with the South African struggling for form last season.

“Well, I mean, I had a great run with Andres,” he said.

“He’s one of my best mates on and off the track. So, we have a great relationship. We had a lot of really good times together.

“However, it seemed maybe we were a little bit stuck in our ways, and we knew each other extremely well, what I liked, what I didn't like, and maybe our box was getting a little bit narrower.

“So, starting off fresh now with Phil is going to be fun.

“It will take some getting used to, seeing a different face in the box because I’ve been with my same crew for a long time.

“But I’m excited for this next adventure. Phil is a really cool guy, I’ve chatted to him quite a bit this off-season; he puts in a massive amount of effort.”

Binder failed to make it to the podium last season, finishing a high of fourth at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

He branded 2025 as “one of the hardest times of my career”, but has found the winter break useful for reflecting on what went wrong.

“Well, this off-season, pretty much when the year ended, I felt like I needed a break, to be honest, because last year the harder things got, the harder I worked, the more effort I put in,” he explained.

“And it just really wasn’t quite clicking. Definitely one of the hardest times of my career last season, there’s no doubting that.

“And worse, I know I’m capable of so much more, because I haven’t done it once - I’ve done it 10 times.

“When you do struggle like that, it’s really tough. However, it was really good to just take a couple of weeks to reflect on the year.

“And when I took time to step away, it was easier to see where I was going wrong.

“My goal for this off-season has been to put a great programme together, start from scratch again, building a good base on the endurance side, and just spending as much time on a motorcycle as I could.

“My goal for this year is to be more in the moment, enjoy riding my bike as much as I can, and I think the rest will sort itself out.”