Tech3 KTM boss Herve Poncharal has denied reports that his sale of the team to a coalition headed by former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner was completed during MotoGP's summer break.
Speaking exclusively to The Race at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, the veteran team owner said contrary to a report from Motorsport.com that talks remain ongoing and that nothing has yet been formalised.
"Nothing has changed!" Poncharal insisted. "In Aragon [in June], I took the decision to talk to everyone, to say that just we are open to discuss and to see what we can do in the future to be stronger.
"We will have to do quite a few important investments for the 2027-2031 contract, and alone it's a little bit difficult to do. But nothing has changed.
"We are still talking, and we hope we will still find a solution. Which solution is not clear at the moment, but honestly I have no idea why this article came out.
"It was very strange for me. That day, I went swimming in the morning - I like to go swimming in the sea - and I put my phone on flight mode. I went to have a coffee following the swim, and I forgot about my phone. I put it on, and it went 'brrrr' - like when you win a race!
“I said, 'Woah, what have I done?' and I saw a lot of, 'Congratulations, happy for you'. I didn't know what they were talking about! But one or two put the article [in their message], and then I understood - but I didn't say anything."
But while the deal might not yet be done, Poncharal was confident that Steiner's approach - believed to be backed by American investors and likely supported by the series' new owner, Liberty Media - will come to fruition at a key time for the team.
New regulations come into play in 2027 and, as Poncharal explained, those changes will require an investment into the team as he considers his own retirement.
He added that Steiner was unlikely to be scared away by the latest reports.
"The plan is still to find a partner, but nothing has been signed," he told The Race. "Some people were saying that there would be an announcement in Spielberg, but as you can see there is no announcement.
"You know better than me that you can not always trust what is written in the media - and I’m not blaming the media. You get good, and you get not so good.
"I think in the middle of the summer break, no one knows what to do, and it worked because I think it came first from Motorsport.com then everyone used it in many different languages.
"But as [former rider and team manager Carlo] Pernat was saying a long, long time ago, it is better that people talk about you and it doesn't matter what they say. Better than being a ghost or disappearing!
"It's more publicity for Guenther than for me, but he loves it! He loves to be the centre of attention, to make some comments, so I guess he is happy!"
