Tech3-KTM no longer in orange in 2027? According to Steiner, “anything is possible”

Tech3 is continuing its partnership with KTM: that was the message at the press conference held during the Catalan Grand Prix in mid-May. Following the announcement of the framework agreement between the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group (formerly Dorna) and the five manufacturers – Aprilia, Ducati, Honda, KTM and Yamaha – on 19 June in Brno, the agreements with all eleven teams have now been finalised until the end of 2031.

The new Tech3 owner, Günther Steiner, is doing everything he can to ensure that the historic racing team founded by Hervé Poncharal is in the best possible position, both financially and technically, for the future.

In 2024, Tech3 had energy drink giant Red Bull back on board as a sponsor for the first time since 2020; at that time, the KTM RC16s were painted in the red and white colours of GASGAS. In 2025 and 2026, we will see the motorcycles of the KTM works team and the Tech3 satellite squad in an almost identical orange livery, with Red Bull as the title sponsor and prominently featured on the fairing.

Steiner has taken over Tech3 together with other investors, and this will also be reflected in the team’s livery from 2027 onwards. “We’ve taken on a team with existing contracts, and we have to honour them,” the South Tyrolean emphasised in a personal interview with SPEEDWEEK.com. “The manufacturer’s contract was in place, the sponsorship contract was in place, which is why our motorbikes don’t look any different (from the previous year – the author). But we’re working towards becoming Tech3 in our own right in the future. In collaboration with KTM, we’ll be going our own way commercially – and visually too. Once we no longer have that sponsor, the look will certainly be different.”

Steiner does not yet know whether Red Bull will remain as a sponsor. “What is certain is that it won’t be on the same scale as it is now,” the team principal noted. “Nothing is easy, but we have to make up for it, and that is certainly feasible. We’re working on it; the talks are promising. Talks are just talks, but there’s a great deal of interest in MotoGP at the moment. Naturally, we’re trying to secure the best partner we can find. That’s why we’re not jumping at the first offer that comes along. Everything’s on track.”

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Steiner is confident that he will find a new title sponsor; it’s also possible that his KTMs will no longer be painted orange. “That’s conceivable,” he confirmed. “Times are changing, and a lot has changed at KTM too. KTM has been through difficult times; Gottfried Neumeister is doing a good job – getting the company back on its feet wasn’t easy. Things change; we’re working very closely with KTM, with Gottfried Neumeister and Pit Beirer. We’re trying everything. It wasn’t bad, but there’s always room for improvement.”

In recent years, Ducati has shown a knack for expanding its sponsor portfolio to include tech companies such as Lenovo, TIM, NetApp and Aruba, whilst for the other manufacturers, alongside the two drinks producers Red Bull and Monster, it is primarily companies from the supplier industry that feature as strong partners.

Steiner, who has a wealth of contacts thanks to decades of experience in motor racing, puts it quite clearly: “MotoGP isn’t just of interest to partners working in this sector, but also to those outside it – that’s what we need to deliver. Trackhouse has now also secured a sponsor in SuperFile (a competitor to WeTransfer – the author) that has nothing to do with motorbikes. That’s where we need to be heading. It’s also very interesting when you speak to people like that: in the past, we were too complacent in our dealings with them, but they’re interested. In Formula 1, it started with cigarettes, then oil, then banks, and now everyone’s on board. We need to move in that direction. If you want to raise money, you can’t just stay within this circle. Otherwise, we’re just turning the money round; we need to bring in new money. The sport is of interest to companies from outside, but many don’t realise just how big the sport is. First, we need to explain to the companies what we do – how good the sport is and what it has to offer. Then people will take an interest.”