KTM is reorganizing its crew chiefs for 2026—Phil Marron takes over Brad Binder—Alberto Giribuola will work for Yamaha in the future and look after Toprak Razgatlioglu
There will be two changes to the crew chiefs at KTM for the 2026 MotoGP season. It all started with Alberto Giribuola’s decision to leave KTM and the Tech3 team. He worked for Enea Bastianini for the last time at the Barcelona race weekend in early September. Xavi Palacin temporarily took over his duties.
Giribuola moved to Pramac-Yamaha and will be looking after Toprak Razgatlioglu’s crew in future. Razgatlioglu originally wanted to bring Phil Marron with him from the Superbike World Championship. They have worked together successfully for years at Puccetti-Kawasaki, Yamaha, and BMW.
However, Yamaha wanted to provide Razgatlioglu with a crew chief with MotoGP experience. Marron last worked in the premier class in 2016. At that time, he was the crew chief for Eugene Laverty in the Aspar Ducati team.
Marron will still be working in the MotoGP paddock in 2026. The Northern Irishman has been hired by KTM. He will be looking after Brad Binder next year. With this personnel change, KTM also hopes that Binder can return to his former form. “I think he’s a strong crew chief,” said KTM Motorsport Director Pit Beirer during the Portugal race weekend on Dorna Sports’ English TV broadcast. “We always look at the project with four bikes and four riders.”
“And we lost a crew chief, so we were able to gain this very strong man who has proven to give a rider a lot of confidence. I think it’s a very good sign that he’s with us now.”
“And maybe it can also help to adjust a few things around Brad to bring him back, because we’re not happy to see Brad struggling so much. Maybe he needs some kind of impetus.”
Marron is already in the paddock at the season finale in Valencia wearing KTM clothing and observing the proceedings in the pits. He will start working for Binder on Monday and will work with him for the first time at the test on Tuesday.
Andres Madrid, who has been Binder’s crew chief since 2021, will move to the Tech3 pit and will look after Bastianini in the future. “Yes, my crew chief for the coming year will be Brad Binder’s crew chief,” the Italian confirmed in Portimao. For Razgatlioglu, the MotoGP adventure began last Monday with a private test day at MotorLand Aragon. Next Tuesday, he will meet all the MotoGP riders at the official test day in Valencia.
It is interesting to note that Giribuola will be in the Yamaha test team’s pit during the Valencia race weekend. Razgatlioglu will continue to work with the V4 Yamaha, which Augusto Fernandez will be riding as a wildcard, next Tuesday.
Giribuola will also be talking to test rider Andrea Dovizioso in the Yamaha test team. The two know each other very well from their years together at Ducati. Giribuola served as crew chief between 2016 and 2020. Dovizioso was runner-up in the world championship three times.
When Miguel Oliveira signed with BMW for the Superbike World Championship, he assumed that Marron would be his crew chief. That will not be the case now.
BMW has hired Andrew Pitt. The former racer was crew chief for Michael Ruben Rinaldi at GMT94-Yamaha in the Supersport World Championship last season. Oliveira will test the BMW for the first time on November 26 and 27 in Jerez.