Marco Bezzecchi
Guenther Steiner made his debut in the MotoGP paddock as a team owner at the Thailand Grand Prix, and expressed his appreciation for the talents that premier class competitors possess.
Following his acquisition of the Tech3 MotoGP outfit from long-time owner Herve Poncharal, Guenther Steiner was present in the Thailand Grand Prix paddock adorned in the colours of his new racing team.
Despite holding an extensive background in motorsport management, MotoGP fans were sceptical of Steiner’s arrival at Tech3 due to the reputation he had developed as one of the stars in Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive series.
In terms of his first results in the two-wheeled racing category, Tech3 had a fairly difficult start to the 2026 campaign.
While Enea Bastianini managed to claim some points at the chequered flag on Sunday, Maverick Vinales languished outside of the top 15, and the Spaniard’s fury was evident in his post-race comments.
How do you think Guenther Steiner will fare in MotoGP as Tech3 boss?
Guenther Steiner expresses admiration for MotoGP riders after first race with Tech3
During an interview with MotoGP journalist Adam Wheeler on the Paddock Pass Podcast inside the Thailand Grand Prix paddock, Steiner was asked for his first impressions of life inside the confines of the premier class.
The former Haas F1 team principal said, “What I like is how competitive it is. And, the riders, how much on the edge they are. When you see them going out on the track, you see the stress levels they are under; you see it in their eyes.
“It’s something amazing. I think it’s cool for me, maybe not for them, but I quite like it. But there is nothing that would make me say, ‘I actually hate that.’ I see potential in doing things different and I’m not going to tell you what I think because I’m not sure that that’s the right thing.
“How I think in the moment, because I’m here, it’s my first day, it’s my first day at the job. So I don’t want to be the wise guy who says something which I regret in two or three races because I didn’t understand it.
“The sport is a very interesting sport, and obviously, there is a big following, and we all see that. What I really love is this intensity which is there, you know, grassroots racing. Everything is just sheer adrenaline, and I quite like that.”
Steiner also compared his time in F1 to MotoGP, listing all of the same issues that premier class teams suffer with alongside their four-wheeled counterparts.
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Predict the order of the KTM riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Pedro Acosta has proved that Tech3 have a bike that can win MotoGP races
Despite Tech3’s difficult weekend in Buriram, KTM Factory rider Pedro Acosta proved that the RC16 is capable of winning races and, at the very least, competing towards the front of the pack.
The 21-year-old had a dazzling opening weekend to the 2026 MotoGP season, securing a win in the Sprint race, as well as a P2 finish in the Grand Prix. The results saw the Murcian-native take control of the riders’ championship for the first time in his career.
Saying that, there is reason to believe that KTM have favoured Acosta’s riding style during the development of their RC16 prototype.
Prior to the race weekend, Enea Bastianini urged KTM to look beyond prioritising Acosta when assessing their direction of development, and the gap between the rest of the Austrian constructor’s riders to the Spaniard is evidence of that.
It raises a difficult question inside the KTM’s development departments, on whether they should continue to put their faith in Acosta, or spread the love more evenly across all four of their riders.
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