Marco Bezzecchi
Tech3 MotoGP boss Guenther Steiner is adamant that he won’t let nationality sway his 2027 rider choices.
With Enea Bastianini apparently heading to Trackhouse and Maverick Vinales leaving, Tech3 are expected to sign Luca Marini from Honda to ensure a veteran presence.
The battle for the other seat has reportedly come down to Senna Agius vs Manuel Gonzalez, the IntactGP Moto2 teammates.
Guenther Steiner: I ‘don’t care’ where potential Tech3 riders are from
The new Grand Prix at Adelaide will be one of MotoGP’s flagship events next year, so it would be commercially advantageous to have an Australian like Agius on the grid. Pramac rider Jack Miller is expected to lose his seat and could move to World Superbikes.
By contrast, Gonzalez is trying to break into a sport where Spaniards already dominate the grid. Nine of the 22 full-time riders this year are Spanish and there are calls to diversify the field in the hope of appealing to more markets.
But Steiner insists that he will only make his decision based on performance and personality.
“I don’t care where the passport comes from – the performance has to be right,” he told Speedweek. “Right now, it’s a bonus if you’re not Spanish, because there are already so many Spaniards.
In your opinion, who are the top three riders in Moto2 right now? 👶
“That would also give sponsors the opportunity to have something different. Everyone says there are too many Spaniards. But we shouldn’t use that against Spaniards. If they deliver the best performances, what more could you want?
“Success doesn’t come from a passport, but from the individual. If the performance is there, then you can sell two Spaniards on the team. The question is always how the performance comes together.
“If it were all just mathematical, then it would be simple. You add up the results and you have the decision.
“But you’re getting a person who has to work with the team, move it forward, and also develop the bike. There are many factors involved.”
Why Pit Beirer would pick Senna Agius over Manuel Gonzalez
Gonzalez is beating Agius, and indeed the rest of the field, in Moto2 right now. The gap between the two is 59.5 points, with Pramac-bound Izan Guevara separating them.
KTM boss Pit Beirer says Gonzalez is ‘clearly’ better on the intermediate class bikes, but he thinks Agius has a higher long-term ceiling. Steiner will have to take the stance of the factory team into account.
“Young riders are like stocks,” said Beirer. “You speculate on how positively they will develop in the future. If you ask me today who the better Moto2 rider is, I’d clearly say Gonzalez.
- READ MORE: Jack Miller says Senna Agius isn’t the only young Australian rider doing a ‘fantastic job’
“But who will become the better MotoGP rider – I’m not so sure. It also depends on how tall he is, how heavy he is, how he rides, how he manages the front tyre.
“I see more development potential in Senna. He’s a bit younger and on days when he performs at his best, he’s the winner.”
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