During the F1 season finale of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, an unexpected rumor spread through the paddock that seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was exploring the option of purchasing KTM’s MotoGP teams, adding Red Bull KTM Tech 3 and the prestigious Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. . Array This seemed totally credible, given the monetary difficulties that the orange logo is going through and the British rider’s interest in acquiring a MotoGP team.
A report confirms that KTM is suffering significant financial difficulties, with liabilities totaling €1. 8 billion and ongoing workforce reductions. With production halted for two months in early 2025, there is growing speculation that the company may need external investment for its two MotoGP Teams, which operate on an estimated annual budget of €40 million. Amid those challenges, rumors have emerged suggesting Hamilton’s possible interest in stepping in as an investor.
Despite the financial difficulties faced by Pierer Mobility AG, KTM assures that its racing business will not be affected by the group’s restructuring. The company is confident its enthusiasts and stakeholders that its MotoGP test team will continue with its scheduled track sessions as planned this month.
However, what has fueled the hypothesis is the 39-year-old F1 driver’s willingness to buy a MotoGP team earlier this year, given his love for the game and its expansion in recent years. He is reported to have said:
“I have enjoyed MotoGP.
“I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport. But I haven’t looked that far into it, just yet.
“But anything is possible. I am interested, as I said before, in justice. The Denver Broncos were already a first step toward team ownership.
“In the next five to ten years there will be a few more. We’ll see.
The rumors of Hamilton coming to the rescue soon reached the KTM bosses, who strongly ridiculed the reports. The team principal of GasGas Factory Racing Tech3 KTM told GPOne:
“These rumors are unfounded.
“There is a grain of reality in this. And I guess that applies to factory equipment too.
Another source at KTM reportedly said:
“Never in a million years. “
Reports of Hamilton buying a MotoGP team might have gained pace after Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei admitted in September that Hamilton had expressed interest in purchasing a MotoGP team. This development coincided with Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP from Dorna, a transaction valued at $4.2 billion. He said:
“When we announced [the acquisition on MotoGP], it’s a great example, we had immediately people call up and say, ‘I want to buy a team’, including people like Lewis Hamilton.
“Why? Because they saw what had happened in Formula 1, and they want to follow. We had, major distributors call and say, ‘We want to be involved’. And unfortunately, I had to tell them we really can’t talk about [that] until we get EU approval, but we’d love to talk once we get it.
“I think there’s an opportunity, when you’re at a league point, to take advantage of the adjustments you can make. When you’re at the team point, groups sometimes don’t make money either. Surely this is not true. Cash for NFL teams is pretty good, but in general, it’s very large multiples of money, and we’re still too classic when it comes to that money.
“But at the heart of it, your ability to update the dynamic, set the level and do the things you need to do is much better, less complicated and more manageable. It still takes time, but you can achieve it at the league level. In a way, it is very complicated at the team level.
This article first appeared on Motorsports on SI and was syndicated with permission.
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