No MotoGP team sale to Steiner yet, boss insists

Tech3 team boss Herve Poncharal has dismissed reports that he has sold his MotoGP outfit to former Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner.

Rumours last week claimed the 60-year-old ex-Haas boss was set to take over Tech3 in a deal worth more than EUR 20 million, reportedly backed by US investment firm Apex, but Poncharal has hit back strongly.

“That’s absolute fake news,” he told Italian portal GPOne.com. “They are talking, as you know, but nothing was signed! I've never made a secret of the fact that discussions are taking place, but I'm very annoyed by these new rumours and speculations.”

While Poncharal acknowledged background negotiations, he stressed that no takeover is imminent and that he remains fully in charge of the KTM-supported MotoGP team, with no change expected until at least 2027.

Steiner, a prominent figure in the Netflix era of F1, has remained active in media circles since departing Haas. His name has been linked to Liberty Media’s MotoGP ambitions, amid speculation the sport is seeking to replicate Formula 1’s commercial success by injecting new personalities into the paddock.