Tech3 MotoGP team details “strange” winter transition with Steiner takeover

Tech3 MotoGP team manager Nicolas Goyon says the squad had a “strange” winter, as it transitioned to new ownership led by ex-Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner.

The veteran French team was sold for €20 million by former owner Herve Poncharal last year to a consortium led by Guenther Steiner.

As of the start of this year, Poncharal officially handed control of his Tech3 team to Steiner.

Goyon remains in his role as team manager, though he admits it has been a “strange” period during the transition.

However, he says the day-to-day racing operation has gone about its business as usual, with the transition made easier by the fact that the bike, rider and sponsor line-up remains unchanged.

“It’s true that it’s been a strange winter,” he said, following Tech3 and KTM’s 2026 livery launch on Tuesday.

“I’ve been working with Herve since 2003, so it’s a long time together.

“This winter has been kind of strange, because the official change of management was made on 31 December.

“So, that meant for the whole of December, Herve was still leading the company.

“But obviously, he couldn’t make any decisions. On his side, it was clearly, ‘Ok, I’m not the boss anymore, so you’ll have to see with the new management’.

“And on the same side, they haven’t really started. They only started on 1 January, so they couldn’t really take any decisions on their side.

“So, this winter we managed on our own, but we know how to manage it.

“The job, on one way, was quite easy because we kept the same sponsors, the same brand, the same riders.

“So, everything was settled. So, in the end the transition was smooth, even if in December we were on our own.

“Since 1 January, we’ve started to build the relationship. So, the new management started early and we exchanged, we tried to understand how they work.

“Obviously, on the technical side and on the sport side, we work as we have done in the past. So, we know what to do, and everything is ready.

“I think the change of management will be more clear in the first races, probably more on the marketing side, on the communications.

“But on the technical side, it’s the same as before.”