Netflix series Drive to Survive is meant to give viewers a glimpse into the lives of Formula 1 drivers, yet it was team boss Guenther Steiner who often stole the show from his more fancied contemporaries.
The charismatic moustached Italian-American motorsport engineer made waves with his no-holds-barred attitude, which often resulted in very colourful language. His infamous outburst after Kevin Magnussen “f*ck smashed” his office door has gone down in F1 folklore.
After leaving the Haas F1 team in 2023, the 60-year-old Steiner last year moved from four to two wheels in leading a consortium to acquire MotoGP team KTM Tech3 from Herve Poncharal. Steiner this year took over full control as the owner of the satellite partner of the Red Bull KTM Factory team.
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Steiner ‘a character for sure’
Italian pair Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini will again line up for Tech3 this season on the same RC16 machine used by the KTM factory team’s Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta.
Binder has welcomed Steiner’s arrival, saying that he will bring with him a dynamic to the motorbike racing environment.
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“I’ve had a short chat with him during which I pretty much just introduced myself. He is definitely a character, that is for sure. That was very clear on the Netflix show,” Binder told The Citizen Motoring during a video call arranged by Red Bull.
“It is really cool to have him in MotoGP. I think he brings a brand-new dynamic to the sport.”
Brad Binder expects more changes
Binder reckons there could be more changes on the cards after F1 owners Liberty Media bought out MotoGP owners Dorna Sports.
“MotoGP is moving into a new era with the whole buyout from Liberty Media. It is exciting, and I think there will be a lot more Formula 1 movements in the MotoGP paddock. It’s a lot of fun to see how everything is changing,” Binder added.
The MotoGP season starts next weekend in Thailand.
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