In a move that has sent shockwaves through the motorsport world, Guenther Steiner, the owner of Tech3, has extended a tantalizing invitation to the newly crowned Formula 1 champion, Lando Norris, to test a KTM MotoGP bike next year. This groundbreaking offer comes hot on the heels of Norris’s stunning triumph at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where he clinched his first F1 world title, narrowly defeating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by a mere two points. This victory marks a historic moment, as Norris becomes the first British driver to seize the championship since Lewis Hamilton in 2020 and the first for McLaren since 2007.
Norris’s passion for MotoGP is well-known, with the McLaren driver frequently spotted in the paddock over the years, including a memorable visit to the 2025 San Marino Grand Prix at Misano, where he was a guest of the legendary Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team. Steiner, who has made waves in the MotoGP community since taking over Tech3 earlier this year, is clearly eager to have Norris on board, stating during an appearance on The Red Flags podcast, “He is welcome to ride our bike next year. It has the same colour [as the McLaren], papaya… Ok, it’s orange, but they are very similar. He can come and ride it; we will find a way to arrange it. It would be something nice for him, although I don’t know if Zak Brown would be happy to see him ride a MotoGP bike.”
While this invitation is still in the realm of speculation, the potential for an F1 and MotoGP crossover is a tantalizing prospect, one that would certainly excite Liberty Media, the parent company of both racing series. However, obstacles remain. Norris’s partnership with Monster Energy could complicate matters, as Tech3 and KTM are closely linked with Red Bull, raising questions about how such an arrangement could unfold.
Historically, there have been a handful of MotoGP riders who have ventured into the F1 arena, with icons like Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez testing their skills in F1 machinery. Rossi’s flirtations with Ferrari in the mid-2000s hinted at his serious consideration of making the switch to F1, showcasing the allure of cross-discipline competition. On the flip side, F1 drivers trying their hand at MotoGP has been a rarer phenomenon, with the most notable instance being the ride swap between Rossi and Lewis Hamilton in 2019 at Valencia, where Hamilton took to the track on a Yamaha M1 while Rossi got behind the wheel of a Mercedes.
As the motorsport community buzzes with excitement at the prospect of Norris taking on a MotoGP bike, one thing is clear: the lines between these two high-octane worlds may be blurring, and fans are eagerly awaiting what could be a historic moment in racing history.
