Former Haas Formula One team boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed he is in discussions to invest in a MotoGP team, which could lead to a new role as a squad CEO in the top category of global motorcycle racing.

Steiner was axed as Haas team boss at the end of 2023, eight years after its F1 debut in the 2016 season. Following his exit, he began working extensively as a television pundit in the sport. The Italian-American has also released a second book about his time working in F1 and is the co-owner of a North Carolina-based composites company.

“I’m unemployed but very busy,” he told The Athletic in an exclusive interview.

Reports in recent weeks have linked Steiner with investment in what is a new area of motorsport for the 60-year-old: the Tech3 team in MotoGP. The squad has raced in top-level motorcycle racing since 2001 — mostly as a customer Yamaha squad, before partnering with Austrian manufacturer KTM in 2019.

KTM is currently in the midst of a severe financial crisis, which has left its participation in MotoGP beyond the current bike design rules era that ends in 2026 in doubt. This has led Tech3 to seek outside investment. Current team owner Herve Poncharal recently confirmed talks with Steiner during an interview with the championship’s host broadcast at the Aragon motorcycle Grand Prix won by Marc Márquez. Poncharal suggested discussion areas have included a potential full sale of the squad.

“(Steiner is) a very straightforward person and I think a very nice person to eventually work with,” Poncharal said, via TNT. “So, right now I am listening to the proposal. It could be to come as a shareholder, as a partner, but it could also be to buy the whole team.”

Steiner confirmed the discussions to The Athletic but also insisted a deal was some way off being struck.

“I’ve looked into it, I speak with quite a few people,” Steiner said. “I don’t want to deny it. I mean, I would be stupid to deny it, but no, it’s not done. But I’m working (on it). I always work on projects my whole life and (find) things to do. So, that is one of them because I find (MotoGP) very interesting. Also, a sport which has got a lot of potential to grow because the sport is fabulous — the racing is pretty cool!

“What these guys are doing is bonkers. And I just saw an opportunity. I know a lot of people there and started to work on it. But if it comes to fruition or not, or when, I don’t know.”

Poncharal confirmed talks with Steiner earlier this month (Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images)

Steiner said his interest in MotoGP stems from feeling “the sport is undervalued at the moment”, but insisted he believes in its potential with or without F1 commercial rights holder Liberty Media acquiring MotoGP as well. That $4.2billion deal was announced back in April 2024, but was subsequently scrutinised by the European Union’s antitrust authority, the European Commission.

Reuters reported in April that approval for the Liberty takeover of MotoGP promoter Dorna will, however, be forthcoming. Liberty Media acquired F1’s commercial rights ahead of the 2017 season and embarked on a series of initiatives aimed at growing its reach.

“I think (MotoGP) has got a lot of potential to grow as a sport — a little bit like F1 did,” Steiner said. “There is a lot of potential there to attract more fans because it’s such a good sport.

“I think the sport will grow anyway, with or without Liberty, to be honest. So, I believe in it with or without Liberty. Obviously, Liberty, what they did with F1 is fantastic. And I think they could help make MotoGP bigger for sure.”

A MotoGP move would take Steiner into another area of motorsport after his stints as a mechanic and senior engineer in the World Rally Championship with Mazda, Prodrive and Ford, and as managing director at Jaguar in F1 before becoming technical director in the early days after that team’s transformation into the current Red Bull squad in 2005. Most famously, he worked as Haas’ first F1 team boss. His position at the American squad gained worldwide fame due to his high-profile participation in the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ — a key Liberty-approved project aimed at swelling F1’s fanbase. It is generally considered to have been a big success for F1.

But when asked if his mooted MotoGP move would involve him resuming team principal duties in a new field or if he was keen to be more of a silent partner this time around having been so heavily involved in Haas’ formation, Steiner replied: “I don’t yet know my position, but I cannot stay silent.

“You know me, I cannot be silent! I cannot be completely silent, but maybe I wouldn’t do the day-to-day work. Maybe I would be more strategic, like a CEO or something like this. But I’ve got too many things going on in my life to do this as 100 percent. So, I will put a lot of effort in because I like it. I cannot, if I’m invested in something, just take the back seat.

“I always have opinions and I think there is also my value — I see a lot of things, I’ve done a lot of things. I’m very old now, by the way, so don’t forget that. When you get older, you’ve got experience and need to try to use it.

“I’ve never worked in MotoGP. My experience is watching it and speaking with people. Therefore, I say again there’s people which know more about the day-to-day MotoGP than me. And I respect that.”

(Top photo: Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)

ATLANTA, GA. – The Chase Elliott Foundation is continuing its partnership with NAPA and Hendrick Motorsports for the ninth edition of its “DESI9N TO DRIVE” art collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (“Children’s”). Launched in 2017, the DESI9N TO DRIVE program has raised and donated nearly half a million dollars to Children’s over its first eight years.  

Elliott’s No. 9 race car and race uniform, from head to toe, will feature a design by a pediatric cancer patient at Children’s for the NASCAR Cup Series Saturday night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28th. Race fans can enter an online sweepstakes fundraiser to win part of Elliott’s race-worn Atlanta uniform, or a VIP race day meet-and-greet experience with Chase, with donations benefiting the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s, which opened on a new hospital campus last fall. 

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“Every year, the DESI9N TO DRIVE program reminds me why I love what I do,” said Chase Elliott, a Dawsonville, Ga. native. “These kids pour their hearts into their artwork, and getting to meet them and see their creativity up close is incredibly inspiring. Partnering with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and NAPA at my home track always makes this one of the most meaningful weekends of the season.” 

This year’s DESI9N TO DRIVE program received dozens of Dream Big-themed submissions from patients at Children’s. The selected design was sketched by 11-year-old Rhealynn Mills. 

After obtaining an injury in softball, Rhealynn and her family went to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for a second opinion. In October of 2022, she was diagnosed with Metastatic Osteosarcoma and soon after underwent amputation of her right leg. Nineteen surgeries later and fitted with a prosthetic leg, Rhealynn hopes to return to the softball fields soon. 

Rhealynn’s car design depicts her dream of becoming a nurse one day working with pediatric patients like herself and contributing towards finding a cure for cancer. Her design is filled with powerful symbols of hope and healing, including pediatric oncology references, gold childhood cancer ribbons, a stethoscope, heart monitors, and bandages. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet is brightly decorated with clouds of encouragement like “Cure Cancer” and “Helping Kids Like Me,” and features the Bible verse Psalm 46:5: “God is within you, you will not fail,” capturing her strength and faith on the road to recovery and future care. 

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“It’s a privilege to once again team up with Chase and his foundation to support the incredible work being done at Children’s,” said Emily Schneider, Senior Director of Marketing at NAPA. “We’re excited to unveil the inspiring designs on the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and are proud to play a part in driving awareness and support through this year’s sweepstakes.”

What’s Happening?

Hendrick Motorsports developmental driver Corey Day suffered a scary crash last night during the High Limit Racing event at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska.

Jimmie Johnson has transitioned from seven-time champion to hands-on team owner, now more focused on running Legacy Motor Club than racing — as shown by his reduced part-time Cup schedule.

Given Johnson’s long-standing identity as a racer, Steve Letarte pressed him on NASCAR’s Inside the Race about how comfortable he felt juggling boardroom discussions against competition talk. Johnson admitted it didn’t come naturally, but the challenge intrigued him. He spent more time on the business end, drawn by the learning curve and fresh terrain.

His taste for team operations sharpened during his IndyCar stint, where he leased cars from Chip Ganassi. Reflecting on that chapter, Johnson said, “Through that (IndyCar) journey, I was like, ‘Wow, this is more competitive and more interesting and also an area for me to grow.’ And so for these first few years, I have been far more involved on the business ops side and trying to find sponsorship.”

That pull toward management has only grown, especially with Legacy’s new alliance with Toyota. Johnson noted, “The deep connection that I’ve been able to forge and build there [at Toyota] — our collective competition group, some new and familiar faces inside that competition group. I’m feeling more comfortable with it and certainly spending more time now that the business side is shored up.”

Legacy, in many ways, marks the revival of Petty Enterprises, one of NASCAR’s most storied operations. Maury Gallagher, chairman of Allegiant Air and former owner of GMS Racing, acquired Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021, rebranding it as Petty GMS Racing. Johnson came aboard at the close of 2022, and the team entered 2023 under a new banner — Legacy Motor Club — fielding two full-time Cup entries.

In January of this year, Johnson stepped into the role of majority owner following a restructuring that brought Knighthead Capital Management into the fold. With that, his responsibilities grew exponentially, pulling his focus toward boosting the team’s competitive edge.

As a result, his energy is now firmly rooted in Legacy’s evolution, working to elevate performance and broaden the team’s profile. Though he once likened himself to a rookie again, reminiscent of 2002, Johnson now seems to be finding his footing in the boardroom as comfortably as he once did on the track.

The design features symbols of hope and healing, including pediatric oncology references, gold childhood cancer ribbons, a stethoscope, heart monitors and bandages.

The car is also brightly decorated, including clouds of encouragement like “Cure Cancer” and “Helping Kids Like Me.” It also includes the Bible verse Psalm 46:5, “God is within you, you will not fail.”

“It’s a privilege to once again team up with Chase and his foundation to support the incredible work being done at Children’s,” said Emily Schneider, Senior Director of Marketing at NAPA. “We’re excited to unveil the inspiring designs on the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet and are proud to play a part in driving awareness and support through this year’s sweepstakes.”