Miguel Oliveira, Brad Binder’s future teammate at BMW for the 2027 WorldSBK season, praised Binder as “exactly what we need” going forward. The two riders share a history, having competed together across all three tiers of MotoGP, including their stint on the factory KTM team in 2021 and 2022. Their collaboration brought KTM notable success, such as Oliveira’s 2022 victory in Thailand, which was KTM’s last premier-class win before Pedro Acosta’s recent triumph at Spielberg.
BMW aims to reclaim that winning momentum in 2027 after Ducati’s dominance in this season’s WorldSBK. Oliveira believes Binder’s competitive nature and positive mindset are just what the Bavarian manufacturer needs to push its project ahead next year. Speaking to WorldSBK.com before the Italian round, Oliveira emphasized Binder’s ability to contribute not only on track but also in fostering a strong team atmosphere, even during tough times.
While Oliveira is optimistic about the new partnership, BMW’s recent performances, particularly at Magny-Cours, have been disappointing. Unlike their triple wins there in 2025 with Toprak Razgatlioglu, this year the team struggled to break into the top ten despite prior testing sessions. Approaching the Cremona round, Oliveira admitted that the reasons behind the Magny-Cours difficulties remain somewhat unclear, but maintained a determined and positive outlook.
“We came here [Cremona] with a positive attitude and mindset after the tough weekend we had in Magny-Cours. That’s the only approach we can have,” Oliveira stated. Acknowledging the challenge of maximizing the current package and the limited chances to test different setups mid-season, he expressed hope that their preparation would allow them to have a competitive bike right from the first practice session.
Fan Take: This new BMW pairing of Oliveira and Binder is a thrilling development for racing fans eager to see more competition in WorldSBK. If Binder’s talent and mentality can spark BMW’s resurgence, it could shake up the current Ducati dominance and inject fresh excitement into the championship’s future.
Source: www.crash.net
