Discussions about Lewis Hamilton potentially investing in KTM, a MotoGP team, have been gaining traction lately, especially following Liberty Media’s recent acquisition of the entire series, which will bring F1 and MotoGP under the same umbrella.
Hamilton has been actively investing in sports teams in recent years, with his co-ownership of the Denver Broncos being a notable example. However, there are no concrete signs of Hamilton being interested in the KTM deal.
Karun Chandhok was also shocked when he got to hear about these reports. In a podcast, with Evo India, he was asked about his opinion on whether Hamilton expanding his business portfolio into the world of MotoGP would help the series grow. The Indian former F1 driver replied, “Yeah, if it happens. I mean it sounds like KTM have got a lot of financial issues going on.”
The ‘if’ here, is rather big. Talking about the prospects of Hamilton bailing out KTM, a team in disarray, Chandhok hesitantly added, “It doesn’t mean he wants to just throw it [his money] away. You have to look at the big picture.”
Pit Beirer has told Speedweek that Lewis Hamilton and his management held “concrete talks” about a buy-in with KTM #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/k5vIDabha1
— Crash MotoGP (@crash_motogp) December 26, 2024
Currently, KTM is in heaps of trouble with debts in the range of €2.7 billion ($2.8 billion). The team’s motorsport director Pit Beirer has confirmed that they have had initial talks about a possible investment deal with Hamilton. “I can only say that we had very interesting discussions with his management,” he said to Speedweek.
However, things haven’t progressed as they may have hoped. Hamilton’s camp is yet to respond, and although KTM is set to participate in the 2025 Moto GP season, they could have to pack up come 2026.
Will Hamilton invest in KTM’s MotoGP team?
Hamilton, with a net worth of around $285 million, is one of the wealthiest individuals in the F1 paddock. Regardless, covering KTM’s massive debt would be a herculean task for the Ferrari driver.
This is what journalist Simon Patterson claimed on The Race‘s MotoGP podcast lately. “Lewis Hamilton doesn’t have saving KTM money. He’s got a lot of money, but he doesn’t have the money they need to fix this problem.”
Amid financial struggles, KTM entered self-administration, a move aimed at avoiding bankruptcy! #motogp pic.twitter.com/mHrH430ObH
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) November 26, 2024
Even KTM’s sponsorship association with Red Bull could be an obstacle to Hamilton’s potential investment. The former Mercedes driver, who had ties with rival company Monster Energy has also had countless battles with Red Bull’s F1 team over the years. It would surely bring up talks about a potential conflict of interest.
It remains unclear whether Hamilton’s move to Ferrari and dissociation from Monster would facilitate his investment in KTM. Currently, Ferrari counts the energy drink brand Celsius among its partners, and how this partnership might affect Hamilton’s prospective deal with KTM — given their ties to Red Bull — remains uncertain.
Patterson speculates that the 40-year-old might instead aim to acquire KTM’s grid spots over the next two seasons, should the Austrian manufacturer exit the sport. Following this, Hamilton could explore establishing ties with a new manufacturer, positioning himself as the owner of a MotoGP team when the new regulations come into effect in 2027.
