– For most MotoGP teams, the riders for the 2027 season are already confirmed. It is still open who will ride for the Tech3 team. Enea Bastianini is expected to move to Trackhouse-Aprilia and Maverick Vinales will have to say goodbye.
Read more Championship frustration for Franco Colapinto: Spain “the deserved winner”
The basic line for the Tech3 rider pairing is nevertheless clear. Günther Steiner wants to bring in a rookie from Moto2 on the one hand, and a rider with MotoGP experience on the other. There will not be two rookies.
Previously, Tech3 riders had contracts with KTM. This will change in the future, as Tech3 will contract and pay the riders. Nevertheless, Steiner and Pit Beirer coordinate.
For the rookie, the two IntactGP riders Senna Agius and Manuel Gonzalez are in question. “These are my candidates,” Steiner confirms. “They are both really very good.”
“That’s why it’s so hard to decide. Because you have pros and… I don’t think either of them has major cons, but who has more pros?”
For the experienced rider, Luca Marini has recently come increasingly into focus. The Italian will no longer have a place at Honda and explored the possibilities at Tech3 and KTM.
“I’ve spoken to some riders,” Steiner says when asked about Marini, “because I want to get to know them, because you don’t just get a guy who rides a motorbike.”
Read more FT1 Hungary: Refurbished Aston Martin falls apart!
“You get a person who has to be part of the team and who also has to fit into the team. So I met with some people. I mean, I didn’t know Luca before, and I think he’s a really nice guy.”
“Obviously he has a lot of experience, and maybe he can help us get better, but we haven’t made a final decision yet, just to be clear about what we plan to do.”
Internally, Tech3 and KTM have set the Sachsenring as the deadline to make a decision on the rider pairing. Time is pressing, as further decisions depend on it.
“I would love to do it tomorrow, honestly, if I could, because then I could give you a proper answer about what we’re going to do,” says Steiner.
- Formula 1Formula 1 Live Ticker: Practice sessions in Hungary live
- Formula 1Racing Bulls advises its drivers: “Listen to how Max Verstappen talks”
- Formula 1New Mercedes Formula 1 Safety Car debuts in Hungary
- DTM“Losing more than 0.3 seconds”: Oschersleben BoP already under criticism
“And we could move on and build the rest, because we still have a lot of other things to do. We’re not where we want to be yet. We need crew chiefs and all that stuff, so hopefully soon.”
Read more Following Bahrain’s exit: Malaysia reviews plans for Formula 1 race in 2026
