Tech3 CEO Günther Steiner has made it clear that he does not want to get involved in Maverick Vinales' contract crisis with KTM. Prior to the German Grand Prix, Vinales publicly revealed that KTM had offered him a contract for the 2027 season, which he had signed, but that he was informed a few weeks later that the agreement had been terminated. This statement sparked considerable debate within the MotoGP world.
Steiner is keeping his distance.
Vinales races under the Red Bull KTM Tech3 banner; however, both his and his teammate Enea Bastianini's contracts were signed directly with the KTM factory. These agreements, made long before Steiner took over the French team, exclude Tech3's new management. Steiner summarized the situation with these words: ’I have no connection whatsoever with his contract; it's a relationship established with KTM. When I saw the headlines, I thought, 'I hope I don't get caught in the middle of this, because it doesn't concern me or Tech3.'" Steiner also emphasized that he doesn't know exactly what happened, and that he has never seen Vinales' contract and has no intention of seeing it: “If I see the contract, you're either a party to it or you're not. I'm not.‘
Has the relationship reached an irreparable point?
Vinales was initially offered the opportunity to join KTM's factory team in 2027. However, his poor performance at the start of the season and his inability to fully recover from injury led KTM to revise its plans. The Austrian manufacturer announced the addition of Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio from Ducati. Furthermore, Vinales admitted that he was not invited to KTM's first official 850cc test in Brno, suggesting a high probability of being left off the grid in 2027. Steiner stated that repairing the rift between the parties would be extremely difficult in light of these developments: ’After such a clear crisis, it’s very difficult to repair the relationship. Obviously, they are not in a good place right now. As Tech3, we will continue to work with KTM; therefore, a solution needs to be found that will make the rider comfortable, but I don't think Maverick is happy in this structure at the moment.’
Discussions are ongoing for the 2027 squad.
Steiner announced that from the 2027 season onwards, Tech3 riders will no longer sign contracts with the KTM factory but directly with the team: “From now on, these will be Tech3 contracts. When we took over the team, everything was already signed; however, we will proceed in our own way.” Steiner stated that they are in talks with several names for the lineup, confirming that Luca Marini, who races for Honda HRC in MotoGP, is among those being considered for Tech3 due to his technical expertise and experience; however, he specifically emphasized that an agreement has not yet been signed. For the other Tech3 seat, a young rider from Moto2 is reportedly being targeted. Steiner shared his criteria for lineup selection, saying, ’We are not just looking for someone to ride a motorcycle; we want someone who will fit into the team culture.’.