At Austin, during the Grand Prix of the Americas weekend, Gunther Steiner takes stock of his first steps at the helm of Tech3 with the realism of someone who knows he has entered a new world and with the ambition of someone who has no intention of merely participating. The former Haas team principal explains that he wants to observe, understand and only then take action, but at the same time he’s already setting a clear course: to make the team grow until it’s consistently at the front. In the background, however, lies the most delicate issue: the team’s technical future. Steiner confirms that the ideal option would be to stay with KTM, but he also admits that Tech3 is looking around and that, without concrete guarantees, staying cannot be taken for granted.
How are these first few months going, now that we’re at the third race?
"Good, I’m learning. That’s what motivates me: I have a lot to learn. I’ve always done it this way—the first six months are for understanding; you can’t just arrive and immediately say what’s right and what’s wrong. The people working here know their jobs; they certainly aren’t waiting for me to tell them what to do. They’re all capable, all with great experience. I’m here to learn and then to see if I can bring some different ideas, hoping they’ll be even better.”
Have you developed this adaptable approach over the years, moving from rallying to Formula 1, to NASCAR and now to MotoGP?
"Yes, even though everything here is completely different. But in the end, we’re still talking about motorsport: instead of four wheels, there are two. That’s why I say I have to learn, because there are certainly things here that are done differently—and maybe even better—than in other championships. It’s not that copying from another motorsport always makes you better. There are capable people here who’ve been working for a long time and do things right. But there’s always something to learn and maybe even something to contribute—some idea seen elsewhere that could work. Of course, we always have to do it together; it’s not like I walk in and say, ‘Starting today, we’re doing it this way because I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.’”
Did the idea for MotoGP really come about two years ago, when you were here at Austin wearing that black leather suit?
"Yes, it was born right there. I had left Formula 1 and had come here with a friend just to have fun. On the flight back home—since I live in America— the idea struck me that it wouldn’t be bad to have a team in MotoGP. From there, I started looking into how it could be done, how licenses, teams, and everything else worked. So yes, it was born right at that moment".
And during that time, what other ideas did you have for the future?
"I don’t want to grow up—that’s my problem: I always want to stay a kid. But I do a lot of things. I have my own composites company, and I’m involved in other projects. I always like doing something new, taking an idea and turning it into reality. Not just dreaming, but making a dream possible: that’s what I like. At that time, I was already very involved with Formula 1 television, which I still do now. In fact, this year I travel almost more than when I was in Formula 1. I have a lot on my plate, but this is a challenge that interests me because I love racing. It’s something I’m truly passionate about."
You find yourself working with Liberty Media again, after your experience in Formula 1. Do you feel a responsibility to make MotoGP more of a “circus,” more of a spectacle?
"More than a responsibility, I want to do something in that direction. For me, 'circus' means above all more entertainment for the people. What Liberty did well in Formula 1 was add a lot of things around the race. I don’t like making constant comparisons, because MotoGP has to write its own story and not copy that of another sport. But the concept is clear: the Grand Prix will always remain the most important thing of the weekend. If you add a lot of other things around it, it’s better for everyone. If you don’t like the extras, just don’t look at them. The race is still there; it doesn’t change. It’s like in Formula 1: the race is still the same, but there’s a lot more around it. And no one is forced to take it all in. That’s what Liberty does very well.”
You’re an ambitious person. Do you already have a five-year plan in mind for Tech3?
"Absolutely. A team’s plan must be to succeed. At the beginning, success might mean finishing in the top ten, but once you’ve reached that point, you need a plan to improve even further . I’m not someone who’s satisfied just with participating. Everyone can experience the sport however they want, but for me, you always have to aim to grow, step by step."
When do you think it would be realistic to see Tech3 fighting at the front?
"If I came here and said we’d win races next year, people would be right to think I’m crazy, because today it’s almost impossible. Nothing is impossible, but almost. However, my goal is to be in contention for the podium. Tech3 already made it there once last year, so in MotoGP you can achieve more than in Formula 1, partly because the rider matters so much here. The goal is to improve from where we are now and keep doing so until we reach where we want to go. And if you’re ambitious, where you want to go is to win."
You have two world champions on the team: how are they doing?
"Unfortunately, Maverick still has some issues with the shoulder he broke last year. We’ll see how he manages it here. He already has plans to really try to resolve the problem. That’s the goal. The silver lining, if you can call it that, is that there are a few weeks now where he doesn’t have to get on the bike, and we hope he can get back on track. Then both of them still need to find the right feel for the bike. Things went well in testing, but in the first two races they weren’t able to find the right feel. From what I’m learning, our bike performs better on circuits with heavy braking and corner entry, while it struggles a bit more in long, fast corners."
What result do you think is realistic, also in light of your ambitions?
"From what I’ve seen in the first races, anything in the top ten is already significant. I’d say finishing between fifth and tenth place would already be a success."
And what about the bike? Is staying with KTM still the most likely scenario?
"There are even too many rumors here. In any case, we have to look around; it’s part of my job to understand what’s on the market. The ideal is always to stay with a partner, if you have one, but you also have to see what others are offering. You can’t just say we’ll keep going like this and that’s it, because right now the results for us aren’t spectacular, and we need to clearly understand which path to take. We still have a few months, but not a huge amount of time to decide. That’s the real challenge: if I had another six months, it would be much better, but I don’t. We need to figure out what to do. I’ll say it again: for us, the ideal scenario would be to stay with KTM, but to do that, I need certain guarantees."