The promise Dorna made to Guenther Steiner before he agreed to buy the Tech3 MotoGP team

Add as preferred source on Google

Guenther Steiner is set to complete his takeover of KTM satellite team Tech3, with an announcement expected to be made on Friday.

The former Formula 1 designer and team principal has been in negotiations with Tech3 boss Herve Poncharal over a deal for the past few months. It was reported that an agreement had been made before the summer break, but Poncharal emphatically denied such rumours.

The 68-year-old has led Tech3 since they joined MotoGP in 2001. But Poncharal is now looking to step aside and find new investors for the team, and it seems a deal has been agreed with Steiner.

According to a report from Autosport, the takeover is set to be announced on Friday at a press conference and ‘Steiner will himself be present’ as he completes the deal with his US-based investors.

Dorna have promised Guenther Steiner that Tech3’s grid slots are secure in MotoGP beyond 2026

Steiner’s takeover of Tech3 will be music to the ears of everyone at the French team. They have been thrown into huge uncertainty in recent weeks amid KTM’s financial crisis.

The Austrian manufacturer were saved from insolvency by majority shareholders Bajaj Auto earlier in the year. However, their plan for the future appears to focus on cuts – the Indian company had even considered pulling out of MotoGP altogether.

KTM are committed to motorsport until at least 2026, but their MotoGP project beyond that date could look very different. It has been reported that Bajaj could sell Tech3’s bikes and run with just the factory team.

Tech3’s contract with Dorna expires at the end of 2026, creating massive uncertainty for the team. However, as Autosport reports, Steiner’s takeover has ‘secured guarantees’ from the promoter that they will have their grid slots retained ‘beyond next year’.

READ MORE: Everything to know about KTM Tech3 including the MotoGP team’s riders

What does Guenther Steiner’s takeover of Tech3 mean for the team?

Steiner’s purchase of Tech3 is a huge sigh of relief for the team. The 60-year-old will certainly have his own plans for the French outfit.

Rumours have suggested that Steiner wants Tech3 to run with Ducati bikes, with their future at KTM looking uncertain. If they were to leave the Austrian outfit, Dorna have drawn up a ‘Plan B’ for the team to join Honda – the Japanese giants plan to have a second satellite team.

Steiner will keep Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini at Tech3, with their contracts set to expire in 2026. All current staff will also remain on board, with KTM, Dorna and Liberty Media all approving the deal.

However, there could still be some resistance from within the team. Steiner’s takeover sends a ‘shiver down the spine’ of Red Bull, KTM’s main sponsor, due to their previous falling-outs in F1 and NASCAR.