The 2027 MotoGP season is approaching its conclusion, and teams from the production motorcycle championship, World Superbike (WSBK), are beginning to define their line-ups. In this context, the German manufacturer BMW is working to renew the contract of Portuguese rider Miguel Oliveira, and at the same time, it seems that South African Brad Binder could be his new teammate.
Recently, Iker Lecuona renewed as a factory rider for Ducati, leaving a gap to fill in the Italian team. In this way, Ducati is looking for a substitute for Nicolo Bulega, who will make the jump to MotoGP with the VR46 team next season. In this scenario, Oliveira has stood out for his performances with BMW, registering four third places in his WSBK debut.
Although Oliveira attracts sponsors and fans in his country, he has decided to continue with the BMW project, and all signs point to him staying for an additional season with the M 1000 RR bike. However, the big news will be the identity of his new teammate, as Danilo Petrucci will not renew for the next season.
Industry sources indicate that BMW is making progress in negotiations with the agency representing Binder, Wasserman Group. This agency also facilitated the signing of David Alonso to Honda. As he deals with the options he has in MotoGP, Binder is considering the opportunity to continue his career in WSBK with a bike from a manufacturer like BMW that offers him attractive conditions.
Oliveira and Binder, who already shared a team at KTM for three seasons, are the only riders who have achieved victories for the Austrian manufacturer at the highest level. Oliveira has won five races in MotoGP, while Binder has done so on two occasions.
Oliveira’s career began with Tech3, KTM’s satellite team, and later moved to the factory team. The results achieved, such as his victories in Indonesia and Thailand, are vivid memories for the team. On his part, Binder made history with KTM’s first victory in the category, in the Czech Republic in 2020.
With the restructuring of its team, KTM is now looking for new riders, including Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio, confirmed for the upcoming season. Expectations are extremely high along with the addition of Luca Marini and young Senna Agius.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
