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Ex-F1 team boss Guenther Steiner labels MotoGP riders “a special breed”
Guenther Steiner says MotoGP riders are a “special breed” after seeing their performances up close with Tech3 KTM.
Guenther Steiner says his first events as a Tech3 KTM team owner have given him an even deeper appreciation of the “unbelievable” risk and skill shown by MotoGP riders.
The former Haas F1 team principal – who also held roles with Jaguar and Red Bull – was trackside at COTA, where Enea Bastianini claimed Tech3’s first silverware of its new era.
The Italian finished third in the Sprint, before mounting another impressive charge from 12th on the grid to sixth in the grand prix.
“For me, MotoGP is new. I find it one of the most, if not the most, exciting sports in the world,” Steiner told MotoGP.com.
“When you get involved, it is always surprising how competitive this sport is. How much the rider has influence on the racing here, it’s unbelievable how up and down it can be, it depends on the rider.
“I think you need to be different to do what they are doing, in my opinion. I mean, what these guys do on a bike is unbelievable.
“We all think we know how to ride a motorbike. But when you look at what they are doing, it’s not riding a motorbike! This is riding an awesome machine, at a very high level.
“You can see it on TV so just imagine doing what they are doing. For me, as a human being, it’s impossible.
“So, I just can see how much the risk they need to take. They fall down, stand up and run back to get on the bike again. You need to be a special breed to do this!”
“What are Tech3 doing in 2027?”
Steiner added that he is still settling into his current role, but with one eye already on the future.
“I’m more than happy for the moment. Obviously, I still need to learn a lot. The first six months are just about getting to know the people and the business.
“What I enjoy most is when we go racing and have good moments in racing. We didn’t have too many good moments in MotoGP yet. We just have to work hard to get better.
“It’s a combination, it’s a team effort, and we need to do that.
“For me, the main emphasis at the moment is not ‘I love going racing’ – the guys can do that without me. But for me, it’s more to set up the team for the future. What are we doing in ‘27 onwards?
“For me, the most important thing is to set the road for the future.”
Tech3’s current KTM agreement expires at the end of the season, with the team linked to a potential switch to Honda for the new 850cc/Pirelli-era.
Both Bastianini and team-mate Maverick Vinales, who withdrew from COTA to undergo shoulder surgery, are also out of contract at the end of this year.
Bastianini has been linked with a return to Gresini Ducati, while Vinales is among the names mentioned as a possible factory KTM replacement for Pedro Acosta.
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Guenther Steiner says MotoGP riders are a “special breed” after seeing their performances up close with Tech3 KTM.
Guenther Steiner says his first events as a Tech3 KTM team owner have given him an even deeper appreciation of the “unbelievable” risk and skill shown by MotoGP riders.
The former Haas F1 team principal – who also held roles with Jaguar and Red Bull – was trackside at COTA, where Enea Bastianini claimed Tech3’s first silverware of its new era.
The Italian finished third in the Sprint, before mounting another impressive charge from 12th on the grid to sixth in the grand prix.
“For me, MotoGP is new. I find it one of the most, if not the most, exciting sports in the world,” Steiner told MotoGP.com.
“When you get involved, it is always surprising how competitive this sport is. How much the rider has influence on the racing here, it’s unbelievable how up and down it can be, it depends on the rider.
“I think you need to be different to do what they are doing, in my opinion. I mean, what these guys do on a bike is unbelievable.
“We all think we know how to ride a motorbike. But when you look at what they are doing, it’s not riding a motorbike! This is riding an awesome machine, at a very high level.
“You can see it on TV so just imagine doing what they are doing. For me, as a human being, it’s impossible.
“So, I just can see how much the risk they need to take. They fall down, stand up and run back to get on the bike again. You need to be a special breed to do this!”
“What are Tech3 doing in 2027?”
Steiner added that he is still settling into his current role, but with one eye already on the future.
“I’m more than happy for the moment. Obviously, I still need to learn a lot. The first six months are just about getting to know the people and the business.
“What I enjoy most is when we go racing and have good moments in racing. We didn’t have too many good moments in MotoGP yet. We just have to work hard to get better.
“It’s a combination, it’s a team effort, and we need to do that.
“For me, the main emphasis at the moment is not ‘I love going racing’ – the guys can do that without me. But for me, it’s more to set up the team for the future. What are we doing in ‘27 onwards?
“For me, the most important thing is to set the road for the future.”
Tech3’s current KTM agreement expires at the end of the season, with the team linked to a potential switch to Honda for the new 850cc/Pirelli-era.
Both Bastianini and team-mate Maverick Vinales, who withdrew from COTA to undergo shoulder surgery, are also out of contract at the end of this year.
Bastianini has been linked with a return to Gresini Ducati, while Vinales is among the names mentioned as a possible factory KTM replacement for Pedro Acosta.
Guenther Steiner says his first events as a Tech3 KTM team owner have given him an even deeper appreciation of the “unbelievable” risk and skill shown by MotoGP riders.
The former Haas F1 team principal – who also held roles with Jaguar and Red Bull – was trackside at COTA, where Enea Bastianini claimed Tech3’s first silverware of its new era.
The Italian finished third in the Sprint, before mounting another impressive charge from 12th on the grid to sixth in the grand prix.
“For me, MotoGP is new. I find it one of the most, if not the most, exciting sports in the world,” Steiner told MotoGP.com.
“When you get involved, it is always surprising how competitive this sport is. How much the rider has influence on the racing here, it’s unbelievable how up and down it can be, it depends on the rider.
“I think you need to be different to do what they are doing, in my opinion. I mean, what these guys do on a bike is unbelievable.
“We all think we know how to ride a motorbike. But when you look at what they are doing, it’s not riding a motorbike! This is riding an awesome machine, at a very high level.
“You can see it on TV so just imagine doing what they are doing. For me, as a human being, it’s impossible.
“So, I just can see how much the risk they need to take. They fall down, stand up and run back to get on the bike again. You need to be a special breed to do this!”
“What are Tech3 doing in 2027?”
Steiner added that he is still settling into his current role, but with one eye already on the future.
“I’m more than happy for the moment. Obviously, I still need to learn a lot. The first six months are just about getting to know the people and the business.
“What I enjoy most is when we go racing and have good moments in racing. We didn’t have too many good moments in MotoGP yet. We just have to work hard to get better.
“It’s a combination, it’s a team effort, and we need to do that.
“For me, the main emphasis at the moment is not ‘I love going racing’ – the guys can do that without me. But for me, it’s more to set up the team for the future. What are we doing in ‘27 onwards?
“For me, the most important thing is to set the road for the future.”
Tech3’s current KTM agreement expires at the end of the season, with the team linked to a potential switch to Honda for the new 850cc/Pirelli-era.
Both Bastianini and team-mate Maverick Vinales, who withdrew from COTA to undergo shoulder surgery, are also out of contract at the end of this year.
Bastianini has been linked with a return to Gresini Ducati, while Vinales is among the names mentioned as a possible factory KTM replacement for Pedro Acosta.
[analyse_source url=”http://crash.net/motogp/news/1092921/1/ex-f1-team-boss-guenther-steiner-labels-motogp-riders-special-breed”]