Hervé Poncharal has swatted away talk of a Guenther Steiner takeover at Tech3, branding the chatter “absolute fake news” and cheekily suggesting the former Haas boss will be enjoying the noise because “he loves being the centre of attention.”
Steiner, who left Haas at the end of 2023, was linked over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend with a move to purchase the Tech3 MotoGP squad — a timely rumour given MotoGP now sits under Liberty Media’s umbrella. The story gathered pace fast. Too fast, in Poncharal’s view.
“Nothing has changed,” the Tech3 chief told The Race, explaining that back in June he’d simply opened the door to discussions about potential partners as the team weighs the investment required for the 2027–31 cycle. “Alone it’s a little bit difficult,” he admitted, but stressed no deal has been signed and there was never going to be an announcement at Spielberg last weekend.
The way the rumour reached him was almost comic. Poncharal said he went for an early swim, parked his phone on flight mode, and returned to a flood of congratulatory messages. “It went ‘brrrr’ like when you win a race,” he laughed. Only after a few links arrived did he realise why everyone thought Tech3 had been sold. They hadn’t — and still haven’t.
There’s a bit of silly-season energy to all of this. Poncharal didn’t slam the media, but he did point out the obvious: one speculative piece can ricochet around the paddock in multiple languages before lunch. And while he wants Tech3’s future to be stronger — ideally with the right partner — he’s not rushing into anything, nor letting the rumour mill dictate the narrative.
“It’s more publicity for Guenther than for me, but he loves it,” Poncharal quipped, landing his light jab with a smile. Steiner, for his part, declined to comment when asked about the links.
So where does it leave things? Exactly where they were. Tech3 is exploring options to bolster its long-term programme, nothing more. The phone buzzed, the headlines barked, and the paddock had its moment. But the supposed Steiner coup? Not happening — at least not according to the man who’d have to sign on the dotted line.
