Tech3 MotoGP team confirms ex-F1 boss Guenther Steiner investment talks

Tech3 owner Herve Poncharal has confirmed that former Formula 1 team manager Guenther Steiner is among those interested in investing in the satellite MotoGP squad.

During the British Grand Prix weekend, rumours emerged that ex-Haas F1 team boss Steiner - who was at Silverstone - was looking to join the Tech3 squad in some capacity.

This came amid talks KTM could withdraw support from Tech3 for 2026 as it navigates its way through its restructuring under new majority owner Bajaj Auto, though these rumours were denied by the Austrian brand's motorsport boss Pit Beirer.

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Poncharal - whose team stepped up to the premier-class after winning the 250cc title in 2000 - insisted nothing is finalised but explained that a combination of the looming takeover of MotoGP’s commercial rights by Liberty Media and uncertainly over KTM’s long term involvement meant he has to look for new investors.

As such, he has confirmed that discussions have taken place with several parties, including Steiner.

“There are quite a few people [interested], from various places, from Formula 1,” Poncharal said on Thursday ahead of the Aragon Grand Prix.

“But there is a name that is always coming out [in the media], and it’s Guenther Steiner.

”So yes, we spoke with Guenther, who is a very nice, very straightforward and I like that a lot.

“He has a lot of experience in motor sport. But at the moment, it’s only talk and people explaining to me what their vision is, what they would like to do.

“It could be coming as an investor, as a partner, a minority shareholder, helping with the sponsorship.

“I also have some proposals to eventually buy out Tech3, to run the team, with me helping them to do the transition.

“I have a lot of options offered"

“I have a lot of options offered and, at the moment, I think it is very important to study them, stay calm and check with my advisors as well as my guys in the team.

"Tech3 was created in 1989. We have a structure that is working well. We have the base, the trucks, the boxes, the hospitality.

“So for an investor, this is more interesting than starting from scratch. That’s it.

“For some reason, there were a lot of people talking, I would say 'between trucks', saying things that were not true… That we have already sold our team.

“I heard also that we will be a Honda team, then the next day I read on Instagram Steiner and Ducati!”

No deadline on KTM future decision for Tech3

Poncharal noted that his outfit went “suddenly from the safest team, to maybe the one with more question marks regarding the future” owing to KTM’s financial crisis over the winter.

While that has somewhat been resolved with major investment from Indian firm Bajaj Auto, questions remain over KTM’s involvement in MotoGP beyond this year.

Poncharal, who said before the winter he was already looking at a new deal with KTM beyond 2026, said: “Honestly, I always wanted to keep my independence.

“I've always been alone or with Guy [Coulon], who was almost as one with me.

“But clearly, I also understand that I have to wait to understand what KTM is going to decide.

"We know that the company is now safe, because of Bajaj, the investors and the funds sent by the Indian partner.

“But we don't know what their strategy will be. Will they want to continue racing? Yes, but on which scale?

“Do they want to still have Rookies Cup, Moto3, Moto2 support, two teams in MotoGP... This we don't know.

“But I have to thank Pit Beirer and others who have been very clear with me all along.

“They told me [KTM] are intending to continue MotoGP. [KTM] would like to have four bikes, but will not be able to have the same kind of deal [with Tech3] - because as you see on my bike, the livery is identical to the factory team.

“There is a big 'KTM', there is an even bigger 'Red Bull', and this is something that will not be the case for the next [deal].

“Therefore, I need to reconsider my situation to keep myself in the green zone financially.

“Also, I know that there will be some extra expenses planned from all the MotoGP teams for the 2027-31 contract because clearly, Liberty, together with Dorna, will want the teams to have a stronger and bigger marketing.

“When you are facing this situation, you scratch your head, you make the plus and minus, and say ‘woah’.

“Then you are more open to talk to people [outside investors]. Because until now, I was able to say I want to be independent and alone.

“[Now] the situation is going to be more difficult. Maybe there will be a [new] sponsor knocking at the door. But [these discussions] are what I'm doing at the moment.”

Poncharal says there is no rush to decide on his plans beyond 2026, but recognises this could change depending on KTM’s roadmap.

“The good thing is I've got a contract until the end of 2026 with Red Bull KTM,” he concluded.

“But although I have a contract, it’s not 100% clear [with the KTM situation].

“This is the only thing that could push us to make a quicker decision.”

However, for now, it's a waiting game.

“I've always been transparent... I never talked to Honda, I never talked to Ducati, I never talked to Yamaha, I never talked to anybody. Because right now I'm a Red Bull KTM team until the end of '26. This is my contract," Poncharal said.

"So I've got zero interest to talk to [another manufacturer]. And my wish - but you know this is like a marriage - is to continue '27-'31 with [KTM], and to try to convince my eventual investors to do it.

"But I need to wait for KTM to tell me, ’Yes, we will stay in MotoGP. Yes, we want to have a factory entry and a satellite entry’. Because maybe it will not be the case. 

"Therefore, at that moment, I will have to find a solution."