Guenther Steiner is reportedly close to completing a purchase of the Tech3 MotoGP squad, 18 months after leaving his role as Haas team principal. When complete, the deal will be the first major acquisition since Liberty Media’s takeover of the series. During his eight-year stint as Haas team principal, Steiner developed a reputation as one of the biggest characters in the paddock.
When Netflix’s Drive to Survive series debuted, the Italian was transformed into a star of the sport, and he later wrote two bestselling books about his experiences in the paddock. Since his contract with Haas was not renewed at the end of the 2023 campaign, Steiner has remained in the F1 paddock as an analyst and occasional TV presenter. However, he’s now on the precipice of locking down a more hands-on role in the motorsport community.
According to an Autosport report, Steiner is close to completing the takeover of the Tech3 squad, who are currently 11th and 17th in the MotoGP riders’ standings with Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini.
The deal will be completed with help from the Apex investment company, who recently acquired a 20 per cent stake in the Alpine Formula One team. The organisation manages investments for professional athletes, and will provide the majority of the funding for Steiner’s Tech3 takeover.
Steiner’s interest in the MotoGP venture is no secret. Current team principal Herve Poncharal addressed the 60-year-old’s interest at the Aragon Grand Prix in June. “There’s a name circulating in the media: Guenther Steiner,” he unveiled.
“Yes, we’ve spoken with him – he’s very kind and direct, and I really like that. He has a lot of experience in motorsport. He could come on board as an investor, a partner, a minority shareholder, helping with sponsorship.”
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Steiner isn’t the only figure in the F1 paddock who has been linked with an investment in MotoGP. Lewis Hamilton, who has a long-standing interest in the series, was reported to be considering an investment in the KTM team last year.
“I’ve always loved MotoGP,” the seven-time world champion confessed at the 2024 British Grand Prix. “I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven’t looked that far into it just yet.
“But anything is possible. I’m definitely interested, as I said before, about equity and the [Denver] Broncos was already a first step into team ownership. And so, I think over the next five to ten year, there will be a little bit more. We’ll see.”
