Guenther Steiner to pit his wits against 'Max Verstappen of MotoGP'

Guenther Steiner has conceded it will take him six months of learning before he will finally be able to call the shots after officially taking on his new role as a MotoGP team owner.

Former Haas F1 team boss Steiner announced last year that he was stepping into the world of two wheels. On January 1, he took up the reins as CEO and co-owner of the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team.

Steiner, who alongside an investment fund acquired the oldest privately-owned outfit in MotoGP, has recognised he cannot go in all guns blazing in a bid to shake up the team from the outset.

“It’s one of the sports I’ve always liked because it’s just so exciting," said Steiner, speaking to Lottoland. "The racing is incredibly close, and the talent of the riders really shines through.

"In MotoGP, it’s much more down to the rider than the driver in Formula 1. They fight man-to-man on the bike. It's pretty cool to watch when they’re so close together.

"Technology-wise, the bikes are monsters. The speed they go and the speed they can go. I always loved MotoGP, but I never had the opportunity to get involved. Now that chance came, and I said, 'Let’s try to do this.'

"I can bring almost 40 years of motorsport experience. But first, I need to understand what MotoGP can use from me. I’ll spend the first six months learning before saying what needs to change because the people in MotoGP have done this for a long time, and I have a lot of respect for that."

Steiner feels, though, it "will take three to five years to build everything up and put our feet under the table", adding, "I respect MotoGP a lot. There are great people with years of experience. You can’t buy experience. It takes time."

Steiner will at least be initially aided by team founder Hervé Poncharal, who agreed to remain as a consultant.

"Hervé is a great guy with a lot of experience," said Steiner. "He’s done it for a long time, and having him stay on with us next year is a big advantage."

The 60-year-old feels there are opportunities for success as an independent team, as was proven last year when Marc Marquez won his ninth MotoGP title with the Ducati Lenovo Team.

"In MotoGP, an independent team can win a championship," said Steiner. "Last year’s world champion wasn’t a works Ducati - it was a privately-run Ducati. That shows how open and competitive it is. If you do a good job, you can win."

With Steiner now a MotoGP team owner, it gives him a chance to pit his wits against one of the best there has been in the sport.

"Marc and Valentino Rossi, for me, they’re the best," said Steiner. "Marc is the Max Verstappen of MotoGP. He’s just got that edge, that little bit more. And Valentino, he was unique, a real character who could do anything on a bike."