Guenther Steiner reveals why he decided to buy Tech3’s MotoGP team in 2025

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After 35 years, Herve Poncharal surrendered the ownership of his Tech3 team during the 2025 MotoGP season.

Ex-Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner rolled into town and is set to tackle a new project after patiently waiting to get a deal over the line. MotoGP’s new owners, Liberty Media, have promised them a spot on the grid for 2027 when the new regulations arrive, but there are no guarantees about them still having KTM machinery.

The Austrian manufacturer is yet to make an official decision about their participation in motorsport programmes beyond next year, and it could mean that Tech3 are left searching for a new factory partner in the championship.

Steiner has been sent a Tech3 warning and told that his team needs to keep producing results if they don’t want to see KTM pull out of the sport. Steiner won’t be Tech3’s team principal because he doesn’t want too much on his shoulders. He knows that it’s a vital role within the organisation.

READ MORE: Guenther Steiner makes Max Verstappen comparison to Marc Marquez after purchasing Tech3 MotoGP team

Guenther Steiner decided to buy a MotoGP team after watching a 2024 race

Tech3’s current two riders are under contract for 2026, with Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales set to continue, following a season where they have shown some promise at times. Bastianini told his crew chief to leave recently, which has made his life a little harder.

That was only after an admission that he wanted to move to Pramac and work with rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu for next season. It’s the sort of relationship which is going to be really hard to replace.

But the Tech3 team will retain the experience of ex-owner and team boss Herve Poncharal, who will be stepping back into an advisory role. That will be a big help to Steiner, who recently revealed how he approached the idea of buying a MotoGP team.

“It’s one of the strange things in my life,” he said. “You know, I said, I do a lot of things. Last year, I actually came to Austin to watch MotoGP there, and I haven’t been at the race since I think 2006. Went there with my business partner, my composite business, just for having a weekend out of fun.

“I always loved it, but never had the time, and on the way back, I thought, this would be a good idea to get involved here, and I started to work my way through what it is needed to get the team or to get the licence.

“Obviously, I didn’t get a licence because there is no new licence in MotoGP, and then I just started to knock on doors and see if someone is willing to sell.”

READ MORE: Guenther Steiner makes Max Verstappen comparison to Marc Marquez after purchasing Tech3 MotoGP team

How have Tech3 performed during the 2025 MotoGP season?

Comparing their performance in 2025 to previous seasons, Tech3 appear to have struggled a little this year.

Firstly, they lost superstar rider Pedro Acosta to a promotion, but they did draft in the talent and experience of both Vinales and Bastianini to make up for that.

They finished seventh in the team’s standings in 2024, but are ninth with four races to go this year. Perhaps KTM’s financial and development struggles have played a role.

But they still would have expected to do slightly better than they have done. Bastianini had a bit of a slow start, while Vinales has missed multiple races with a shoulder injury. Without that bad luck, who knows where they might have been?