Mixed debut for Steiner: KTM Tech3 celebrates only in Moto3, while in MotoGP it’s a total disaster

Moto3 joys and MotoGP pains for Gunther Steiner and his KTM Tech3 in the first GP of the 2026 World Championship.

It was a two-sided start for Gunther Steiner, the new team owner of KTM Tech3. In Moto3 there was already something to celebrate, namely the podium clinched by the combative Valentin Perrone at the end of a tight battle. As for MotoGP, however, even in Sunday’s GP there was really nothing to cheer about... Maverick Vinales had a clear off-track excursion in the very first laps, then was forced to work hard to climb back, eventually finishing 16th, just outside the points. It wasn’t a walk in the park for Enea Bastianini either, who continues to struggle after Giribuola’s sudden departure from his side... Even though he benefited from three consecutive retirements (the Marquez brothers and Mir) to finish 12th and therefore in the points. A handbrake-start, to use a common saying, an unencouraging sign but at the same time by no means definitive, given that the Championship is very long.

"It’s clearly a disappointment. It’s Gunther Steiner’s first weekend with us and all we could offer him was this laborious show." Team manager Nicolas Goyon, usually very reserved when it comes to statements, said just that to Canal+ at the end of the Thai GP. Laborious, meaning a huge amount of work for a very minimal reward, since Tech3 brought home only a handful of points and with just one rider. Considering Pedro Acosta’s provisional lead, also a KTM rider, there’s food for thought... But season starts aren’t always the decisive indicator of a manufacturer’s championship trajectory. Ducati’s second striking flop doesn’t necessarily mean Borgo Panigale won’t be a protagonist in 2026. Granted, in KTM’s case the signals were more mixed, with Acosta the only rider able to shine. And therefore someone to lock down for the Austrian brand—if that’s still possible—given how red-hot the market has been since even before the end of the 2025 season!

A few hours earlier, however, there was genuine satisfaction in the Tech3 camp and in the smallest class. The first two broke away quickly, but the second group delivered just as much spectacle: among them was Valentin Perrone, the Argentine who had already made a positive impression in his world debut last year. The fight against super rookie Veda Pratama, Alvaro Carpe (KTM Ajo) and Adrian Fernandez ended in favor of the Tech3 standard-bearer, who thus delivered the first joy of the season to new boss Gunther Steiner and the whole team. On the other side of the garage is Finnish rookie Rico Salmela (coming off a tricky GP), so he is now the reference point for the structure in the hands of the former F1 figure. It’s a start not to be underestimated, but consistency is key: in two weeks comes the big challenge in Brazil, an absolute novelty for everyone.