Guenther Steiner to Lead Red Bull KTM Tech3 After €20M Deal — Former Haas F1 Boss Brings Drive to Survive Star Power to MotoGP

Guenther Steiner to Lead Red Bull KTM Tech3 After Reported €20M Deal, Bringing F1 Fame to MotoGP’s Fast-Rising Stage

BARCELONA, Spain — Guenther Steiner is swapping four wheels for two. The former Haas F1 team principal is set to become CEO of Red Bull KTM Tech3 after fronting a group that has purchased the French-based MotoGP squad. The takeover is expected to be completed by year’s end, with the deal valuing the team at roughly €20 million, according to a source. The high-profile MotoGP team acquisition places the Drive to Survive star in a leadership role in the premier motorcycle racing series.

From Haas to MotoGP

For Steiner, who ran Haas from its 2016 debut through 2023 without a single podium, the move is as much about opportunity as it is about adrenaline. The former Haas F1 boss joins MotoGP determined to unlock results at Tech3.

"That, for me, means a lot because that's what I was missing," Steiner said. "In F1 ... [it's] like, 'We cannot get to the podium' -- I mean, you can get to the podium, but every star needs to be aligned -- but [in MotoGP], there is the opportunity; if we do a good job, we can get there. It's in our own hands because the grid is more mixed up without having Balance of Performance or anything.

"Obviously, you need to have the rider as well, but ... if he's comfortable and confident, he can make a good result happen. That is the difference here."

MotoGP’s Unpredictable Appeal

MotoGP, the premier class of motorcycle racing, has become synonymous with week-to-week unpredictability and razor-thin margins. Even with Marc Márquez surging toward this year’s title, the series has produced 11 different winners from six teams and three manufacturers over the past two-plus seasons. That parity and spectacle pulled Steiner in soon after his F1 departure, reinforcing why a MotoGP leadership role with Red Bull KTM Tech3 made strategic sense.

"I always wanted to go to a race, but then I got involved in all this other stuff, Formula 1, you don't have time anymore," Steiner said. "And after I left Haas, I decided to go to Austin because ... I know quite a few people in MotoGP and I said, 'I need to come, I need to come,' and then I said, 'I go.' "You start to remember stuff, you start to follow it more again, and there's where I get my stupid ideas from, you know? I go somewhere and it's actually pretty cool to do. 'Let's try it,' you know? And there's where the idea came from."

First-Hand MotoGP Experience

The Italian-born North Carolina resident also developed a deeper appreciation for the bravery and physical demand on riders after experiencing a two-up demonstration run at Circuit of the Americas. That first-hand MotoGP experience underscored the elite athleticism required in the premier motorcycle racing championship.

"What these guys do with the bikes, the challenge, the danger, all this ... it's just very, very cool to watch, in my opinion," he said. "And then last year in Austin, I was on the back of this bike, and that got my attention, I can tell you that much. "I've always been around cars, I've been with fast drivers in fast cars -- never in a double-seater F1 car, but all the other ones -- yeah, it's nice and fast, but ... the last time I was scared in a car was with Colin McRae in a rally car, and I think that was the closest I got to sitting on the back of one of these bikes. It's not the being scared, but you can see the challenge out there, you can feel it."

Expanding MotoGP’s Reach

Tech3’s incoming team principal, Richard Coleman, believes the product will resonate if more fans get to see it, especially in the United States where MotoGP growth is accelerating.

"These guys are rubbing shoulders at 230-odd miles an hour. They are the gladiators of the modern day," he said. "And I really think when this sport gets to a new audience, then I really feel like the moon is possible for this sport."

Steiner’s Netflix Fame Meets MotoGP

Steiner’s persona — sharpened by his breakout role on Netflix’s Drive to Survive — could help open doors for MotoGP content and fan acquisition. MotoGP is already riding commercial momentum: multiple attendance records this season, significant viewership gains in several markets, and a renewed push into original content. That tailwind grew stronger with Liberty Media’s €4.2 billion acquisition of Dorna Sports, MotoGP’s commercial rights holder, a deal widely viewed as a catalyst for further international expansion.

"He gets the business, he understands it," Carlos Ezpeleta, chief sporting officer for Dorna Sports, said of Steiner when asked about his potential as "Drive To Survive's" biggest star. "Of course, his personality has helped a lot. I think some people might be offended to say that he's the biggest character in 'Drive To Survive' -- team principals or drivers might get offended -- but I agree. He has been huge. "You speak to a lot of the business people around Formula 1 and they say they sold out of Guenther's merchandise. It's great to have him on board. I think he's going to really impact here, one, in taking it to new audiences, and two, and in having a bit of that flair and outspoken personality that's going to be easy to connect with."

Investor Interest Growing

Investor appetite is rising, too. "We've been overwhelmed by the interest of people wanting to come into the sport," Ezpeleta said. Among the high-profile groups to have explored ownership stakes are seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, Bolt Ventures — the family office of David Blitzer, co-owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils — and Los Angeles Lakers legend Pau Gasol, according to a source. The bigger hurdle to fresh money, for now, is a lack of sellers as team valuations climb — a sign of MotoGP’s accelerating commercial appeal.

Steiner’s New Challenge

Steiner, whose career started in rallying before stints with Jaguar and Red Bull Racing and the Haas project, now has his MotoGP foothold with Red Bull KTM Tech3. On track, the mandate is straightforward: contend for silverware with a lineup expected to feature Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini. Off track, Steiner’s reach and recognition as a Drive to Survive fan favorite could help MotoGP break into new markets — especially in the United States — at a moment when the sport is poised to scale under Liberty Media’s broader motorsport ecosystem.

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