Guenther Steiner leads takeover of Tech3 KTM MotoGP team

Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has completed his long-mooted takeover of the Tech3 MotoGP team with backing from a consortium of investors.

The buyout was announced in a press conference at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Friday on the eve of the Catalan Grand Prix. Motorsport.com had reported back in August that Steiner was close to finalising the deal.

Steiner was present for the announcement and will take over the management of the squad from its former owner Herve Poncharal in 2026. The Italian will serve as the squad’s new CEO, while his business partner Richard Coleman will assume the role of team principal.

“This is a fantastic opportunity,” Steiner said. “Tech3 is a great team with a huge amount of potential and an impressive legacy. Herve’s impact on the team and MotoGP itself cannot be overstated, and we’re honoured to take over and keep building on those foundations.

“We’re excited to become part of the MotoGP paddock and maximise the potential of the team and the sport as it continues to grow, helping to bring it to new audiences.”

Herve Poncharal, Team principal Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

The acquisition, valued at just under €20 million, was facilitated by Apex, a fund managing the capital of a number of high-profile athletes, including McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris and several other unnamed grand prix drivers.

Tech3 has been competing in the premier class of motorcycle racing since 2001, initially running bikes from Yamaha on a customer basis. It switched allegiances to KTM in 2019 and remains its sole satellite team to date.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tech3 will retain both Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini in its line-up, along with all current staff, while maintaining the team’s headquarters in France.

It is also widely believed that Steiner has secured guarantees from Dorna to retain Tech3’s two grid slots beyond next year. The current contracts between teams and Dorna expire in 2027, when MotoGP will switch to 850cc engine regulations.

“This is the end of an era, but also the beginning of an exciting one for all of us,” said Poncharal. “I’m very proud of everything we’ve achieved since Tech3 was born, winning MotoGP races and taking so many podiums, as well as what we have built over these decades with all the people we crossed paths with.

“When Guenther approached me with an interest in the team, it seemed to fall into place as the perfect moment to make this change. I know that Guenther will lead the team with direction, ambition, and integrity – not forgetting that little bit of rock’n’roll spirit it was founded on. Tech3 will be in good hands to help it grow even more in this new era for MotoGP.”

Maverick Vinales, Red Bull KTM Tech 3

Photo by: Rob Gray / Polarity Photo

The news of Steiner’s Tech3 takeover follows F1 owner Liberty Media becoming the majority shareholder in MotoGP’s promoter Dorna Sports in July.

Under Liberty Media, the valuations of F1 teams have skyrocketed, with McLaren Racing reportedly worth £3billion after Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat and Abu Dhabi’s CYVN Holdings purchased the remaining stake in the squad from other investors this week.

Steiner began his career as a mechanic in rallying before switching to F1 in 2001 with Jaguar. He remained with the Milton Keynes squad after its takeover by Red Bull, serving as its technical operations director in 2005.

He also led Red Bull’s entry into NASCAR the following year, but is most famous for building the US-based F1 team that later came to be known as Haas.

His no-nonsense attitude, portrayed through Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, turned him into a household name in the late-2010s and early 2020s.

The Italian was not retained by Haas at the end of his contract in 2023, and has since focused on media work as a pundit and columnist. The acquisition of Tech3 marks his return to motorsport in a managerial capacity.