KTM confirms “concrete discussions” with Lewis Hamilton

KTM is facing significant financial difficulties which are affecting the manufacturer’s operations, between layoffs and factories shut down for several weeks. Its shareholder, Pierer Mobility, however, wants to maintain its involvement in MotoGP, seen as necessary to promote itself and continue to sell motorcycles, also considering that a withdrawal would only worsen the crisis.

In this context, rumors have emerged linking Lewis Hamilton to KTM. This summer, when he was said to be close to an investment in Gresini, the seven-time F1 world champion confirmed an interest in becoming a shareholder in a team. While we should naturally not expect him to rescue a brand whose debts reach nearly three billion euros, KTM has confirmed that it has made contact with him regarding a potential investment in its MotoGP project.

“All I can say is that we had very interesting discussions with his management”KTM Motorsports director Pit Beirer told Speedweek. “It’s no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about having his own team. He is also having concrete discussions on this side.”

Lewis Hamilton’s personal sponsor is Monster, who has even produced several variations of his energy drink in his name, while KTM is closely linked to competitor Red Bull, but this aspect is clearly not an obstacle. “Everyone we work with knows how close we are, Red Bull and KTM are inseparable”Beirer clarified. “This has not been a problem in the negotiations so far.”

Hamilton’s potential investment comes in a context where KTM must show itself “creative and open to new discussions” due to his current situation according to Beirer. The door is therefore open to potential new shareholders who would only take shares in the racing team.

“This aroused the interest of investors. They approached us and asked if it was possible to invest in such a project in MotoGP. With the pressure that the company is currently under, we had to think about how to do this To achieve this, changes would have to be made in the organization, the competition program would have to become independent. [vis-à-vis du constructeur].”

The former driver believes that the desire of Liberty Media, already owner of F1, to buy MotoGP and the involvement of other brands brings a “huge value” in the championship. He insisted on the “strong interest” of these potential investors and expressed his hope that a solution would be found quickly: “We are confident that we will be able to make interesting announcements before the start of the season. Until then, we must continue working on this project.”