BMW Motorrad Motorsport has signed Brad Binder to ride the BMW M 1000 RR for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team from the 2027 season. The South African leaves MotoGP after seven years to make his debut in the Superbike World Championship, where he will line up alongside Miguel Oliveira. The pair raced together as teammates in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, and their reunion means Danilo Petrucci’s WorldSBK role ends after 2026.
BMW has confirmed one of the more notable rider moves of the coming seasons: Brad Binder will switch from MotoGP to the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2027 as a BMW Motorrad Motorsport factory rider. He joins the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team on the BMW M 1000 RR.
A reunion with Miguel Oliveira
Binder’s teammate will be Miguel Oliveira, and the two riders hardly need an introduction to one another. They shared a garage for several years in Grand Prix racing, across the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP classes, before their paths separated. BMW frames that shared history as part of the appeal of the line-up.
“We are delighted to welcome Brad to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family. What particularly impresses us is his absolute determination to start a new chapter in WorldSBK. His goal is clear: he wants to fight for the World Championship title. First of all, he will need to get accustomed to the BMW M 1000 RR and to a new World Championship, and we are confident that he will do so quickly. With Brad and Miguel, two former teammates are reunited who complement each other perfectly, both in terms of their personalities and their riding styles. This combination has great potential. At the same time, we would like to thank Danilo for his tremendous commitment. Together, we want to finish the current season strongly and are working towards a future together in other projects,” said Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
From Moto3 champion to Superbike newcomer
Binder is 30 and began his international career in Moto3 in 2012. He took the Moto3 world title in 2016 and then stepped up to Moto2, before moving into MotoGP for the 2020 season. In the premier class he has taken two wins and nine further podium finishes.
Switching to production-based Superbike machinery is a significant change of discipline rather than a simple team change, and the company acknowledges that Binder will need time to adapt both to the M 1000 RR and to an unfamiliar championship. For BMW, signing a rider with a Grand Prix world title and MotoGP race wins is a statement of intent in a series it has been building towards for several years.
Petrucci steps aside
The arrival of Binder ends Danilo Petrucci’s involvement in BMW’s WorldSBK project after the 2026 season. BMW says options for continuing the collaboration in other projects are currently being explored, so the Italian is not necessarily leaving the manufacturer altogether. No details of any alternative role have been announced.
What it means
WorldSBK has increasingly attracted riders with recent MotoGP experience, and a factory pairing of a former Moto3 world champion and a MotoGP race winner gives BMW one of the more experienced line-ups on the grid. Binder’s first competitive outings on the M 1000 RR are still more than a season away.
Binder’s WorldSBK campaign with BMW begins with the 2027 season; he and BMW’s current line-up remain committed to finishing 2026 first.
Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com