Marco Bezzecchi
Guenther Steiner will enter a new world of motorsport in 2026 after completing his takeover of Tech3.
The satellite KTM team will remain under the command of Herve Poncharal until the end of the 2025 season. Steiner will assume control of the team next season after striking a deal to take over the French outfit.
Liberty Media could sanction a documentary about Steiner after his acquisition of Tech3. The 60-year-old is a hugely popular figure from his time as Formula 1 team principal at Haas, thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
But some MotoGP fans are not happy with Steiner’s takeover due to his incredibly limited knowledge and experience in MotoGP. They believe that he could ‘destroy’ Tech3, with the team already facing huge uncertainty at KTM.
Rumours suggest that KTM could sell Tech3 due to their ongoing financial crisis, with their contract expiring in 2026. Steiner has secured Tech3’s place on the grid for 2027 and beyond, but he has a long way to go if he wants to catch Marc Marquez and Ducati.
Guenther Steiner calls Marc Marquez ‘the Max Verstappen of MotoGP’
Steiner has likened Tech3 to Williams, who have won nine F1 titles in the 1980s and 1990s. With six wins, 12 pole positions and 49 podiums, Tech3 have never won a title in MotoGP, and they have a lot of work to do if they want to dethrone Marquez.
Tech3 are seventh in the standings, with Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales yet to score a podium. Meanwhile, Marquez has continued Ducati’s dominance in the premier class, winning 10 Grands Prix thus far and leading the championship by 187 points.
Speaking via The Red Flags Podcast, Steiner says Ducati is the bike to have at the moment, but Marquez has made them more ‘difficult to beat’. He compared the 32-year-old to four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, who has displayed incredible levels of dominance in recent years.
“Marc Marquez, it’s the Max Verstappen of MotoGP and he’s on the best bike, so difficult to beat,” said Steiner.
“But P2 onwards, every race weekend, somebody else can have it. I mean, Ducati seems to be the best bike and, for sure, last year they were dominating. If you didn’t have a Ducati, you couldn’t win.
“This year, the Ducati is still strong, but the Aprilia finished second, KTM finished third. There’s always a little bit of mix in it.
“The Ducati, I think is still the best bike, but that Ducati with Marc Marquez, is the best rider with the best bike, but it’s very close.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Guenther Steiner says MotoGP bikes are ‘too powerful’ ahead of 2027 regulation change
Ducati’s rivals will hope to end their dominance in MotoGP by 2027, as the new technical regulations are set to shake up the grid. The bikes will go from 1,000cc engines to 850cc, while the aerodynamics will be radically changed, including the banning of the ride height device.
Pirelli will replace Michelin as the official tyre supplier in 2027, while the MotoGP grid could be set for major changes as multiple riders are out of contract at the end of 2026. Steiner assessed the new regulations, stating that the current bikes are ‘too powerful’ for the sport.
“It’s, as always, a combination, but at the moment, I think the aero is playing a big part of it. I think Ducati is just using everything to the max,” he explained.
“But, next year in Formula 1 is a new regulation, in MotoGP, in ’27, complete new bike regulation. Different engine, completely different, I call it chassis regulation, no aero anymore.
“Because at the moment, they use also ride height systems for the start, they lower the bike so they don’t wheelie and all that good stuff. That goes all away in ’27.
“So there is a complete reshuffle of everything in ’27 and the engines go from 1,000cc to 850cc, because at the moment, they’re just too powerful these bikes, they’re just too much.”
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