Opinion: MotoGP should embrace F1 hero Lewis Hamilton if KTM buy-in happens

The last month really hasn’t been a good one for MotoGP. KTM’s deepening financial crisis and the EU probe into the Liberty Media acquisition over fears of a monopoly on broadcasting rights, kicking that down the road until potentially May, has painted the picture of a series whose bright future may be snatched away from it.

While MotoGP and Liberty are confident the sale will ultimately be approved, the KTM problem is a serious one.

The Austrian manufacturer, plagued by falling sales following a period of increased production, is thought to be in debt for over €3 billion. After the initial creditors’ hearing in Austria prior to Christmas, it has so for confirmed to be in debt to banks for €1.8 billion. To stave off bankruptcy, KTM entered into self-administration.

After the initial creditors’ hearing, the company has been allowed to continue operation in its current form. But part of the report stated that an exit from MotoGP - as well as Moto2 and Moto3 - “is planned”.

Now, “planned” is a vague statement. Many of us have ‘plans’ to take on some aggressive exercise regimes in the new year - that’s not to say those ‘plans’ are happening in the coming year! So, KTM in its current form may well have to exit MotoGP - but not for 2025, with the company defiantly insisting it will be on the grid next year in a statement issued before Christmas.

“Today marks an important day for KTM with the confirmation of our restructuring proceedings,” a statement passed to the media read after the creditors’ hearing. “This milestone secures our plan moving forward, and we are proud to confirm that motorsport remains an integral part of this restructuring plan.

“KTM stands firmly committed to motorsport. We repeat our statement for 2025: we will continue to race in MotoGP! We are re-energised with today’s positive outcome and thank you for your support.”

KTM concluded the year with a private test at Jerez earlier in January upon the backdrop of media rumours that is pausing development for 2025 due to its financial issues. Coming into the 2025 season, that isn’t as dramatic as it may sound if it is, in fact, true - and KTM has yet to confirm this.

Engine development for all non-concession manufacturers will be frozen from the start of the 2025 season anyway, to keep costs under control while factories develop their 2027 850cc machines. There will still be elements of development to be had on bikes, but most manufacturers outside of the Japanese brands won’t be investing the same level of resources as before into their current bikes. So long as KTM hits the ground running with its 2025 RC16 - and testing in the back half of 2024 suggests it does have a better motorcycle - then it shouldn’t be at a major disadvantage. It’s not inconceivable to suggest either that 2025 budgets were long since signed off on even before KTM’s financial hole widened.

Of course, it’s hard to see how KTM can make it to the 2027 grid with a brand-new bike in its current situation.

The creditors’ hearing did reveal that several parties have expressed interest in investing into the company, willing to pitch in up to €700m between them. KTM’s motorsport boss Pit Beirer also made an intriguing revelation on this front.

"I can only say that we had very interesting discussions with his management,” Beirer told Speedweek, the “he” being seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

"It's no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about his own team. Here, too, there are concrete talks.”

Hamilton is a bike nut. A long-time lover of MotoGP, Hamilton took part in a ride swap with Valentino Rossi at the end of 2019 when he got to ride a Yamaha M1 for the first time. Earlier that year Hamilton took part in a Yamaha track day on an R1. In both events, he impressed everyone with his riding ability but also his approach.

More importantly, Hamilton is an astute businessman. As he has etched himself into motorsport legend and built his profile to be one of the few drivers/riders who can genuinely claim to have broken into the mainstream, Hamilton has also expanded his business portfolio.

That does include sports too, having become a part-owner of the Denver Broncos NFL team back in 2022. He also owns a team in the Extreme E series.

Earlier this year, rumours emerged that Hamilton was keen to buy the Gresini squad in MotoGP. Those proved to come to nothing, but he did express an interest in getting involved in MotoGP - something boosted by Liberty’s impending (but on-hold) ownership of the series.

“When we announced it, we had immediately people call up and say ‘I want to buy a team’, including people like Lewis Hamilton,” outgoing Liberty CEO Greg Maffei said in an investors’ call in the summer.

“Why? Because they saw what happened in Formula 1 and they want to follow. We had major distributors call up and say ‘we want to be involved’, and unfortunately I had to tell them ‘we really can’t talk about it until we get EU approval’. We’d love to talk once we get it.”

Liberty has made it clear that its goal is to grow MotoGP’s footprint in the US. That’s been one of its key successes with F1 since it took over from the Bernie Ecclestone-helmed CVC Capital in 2017. F1 now has three races in the United States, boosted its TV ratings and even gained a major Hollywood production starring Brad Pitt set to release next year.

F1’s success is everything MotoGP hopes to gain from Liberty’s ownership.

Arguably, having Hamilton involved in a significant way as an investor of KTM is something MotoGP - and Liberty, should its acquisition gain regulatory approval - could use to kickstart its push to knock at the door of the mainstream in the same way F1 has.

As of the start of the 2024 season, Hamilton was the most-followed driver on social media. He currently has over 38 million followers while the Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (Hamilton’s future Ferrari team-mate) was next up at 17.4m. By contrast, 2024 MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin has 1.1m followers, while Marc Marquez leads those rankings with 7.3m. Valentino Rossi remains MotoGP’s most significant social media presence at 16.2m followers on Instagram.

Hamilton has also garnered a solid level of support - by motorsport standards - in the US, where he spends part of his year.

Ahead of his Ferrari move, reports have surfaced that Hamilton will partner with energy drinks company Celsius - ending his long-time association with Monster Energy. KTM, of course, is title-sponsored by Red Bull for both of its MotoGP teams. That’s one hurdle removed, though Beirer did point out that investing isn’t sponsoring, and therefore fizzy drink brands aren’t going to be a barrier to a potential Hamilton buy-in.

But what MotoGP would benefit the most from if Hamilton does get involved with KTM is a sorely-needed push towards more diversity in the series. Hamilton has used his platform to advocate for change, setting up the Hamilton Commission in 2020 to help open doors in the world of engineering for people from black backgrounds.

Part of the reason for his part-ownership of the Broncos was to help push for more black ownership in the NFL, which stood at just 12.5% at the time he invested into the team.

When Hamilton led F1’s diversity push back in 2020, MotoGP stayed silent. And in the ensuing years, while it has never actively discouraged anyone, it has also done little in the way of inclusivity initiatives.

In the wake of the Hamilton Commission came Mission 44, a charity aimed at helping those from underrepresented backgrounds have better, more inclusive education and create stronger career opportunities for them.

MotoGP has the ability to be in touch with the world around it, as its Valencia flood relief efforts attest to. Hamilton is simply the figurehead who could push it in the right direction.

KTM’s situation finding a resolution will be a win for MotoGP whatever happens. After Suzuki’s exit at the end of 2022, the series can’t afford to lose another manufacturer. More importantly, there are plenty of people whose livelihoods depend on KTM’s grand prix bikes making it to the grid.

But, if the solution in some way shape or form proves to be Hamilton’s investment, his involvement would be a tangible boost for MotoGP on levels perhaps even Liberty Media couldn’t match…