It should be well known that Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton is a big fan of MotoGP. But the fact that he could take an active role in two-wheeled sport is new. Rumours link him with a purchase of the traditional team from Gresini. The Brit has now commented on this.
Buying Gresini? Not done yet, but…
“I have always loved MotoGP and am interested in the sport’s growth potential, but I haven’t really gotten that far into it yet,” said the Mercedes driver before his home race in Silverstone. But the important part of his answer to the rumors was still to come: “But everything is still possible.” A clear denial of a possible purchase definitely sounds different.
Hamilton is already a shareholder in the football team and wants more!
It is certainly conceivable that the Formula 1 record winner could become a shareholder. He himself fuels the rumours about this possibility by referring to an existing commitment: “With the Broncos [Denver Broncos, ein Football-Team in den USA, Anm. d. Red.] There has already been a first step as a team shareholder. Hopefully there will be more in the next 5 to 10 years. We will see where.”
The Denver Broncos were sold in 2022 for $4.65 billion to an investor group led by former Walmart boss Rob Walton. Hamilton is also a member of this group, although his exact shares have not been disclosed. If Gresini were to buy or acquire a share, the sum would of course be much lower. Incidentally, this would not be the Brit’s first motorsport involvement, as he has already had a team competing in Extreme E.
MotoGP stars: Rumours are good for the sport, regardless of whether there is any truth to them
In MotoGP, the rumors were of course a topic of discussion on Thursday before the race at the Sachsenring. World Championship leader Jorge Martin is not quite sure yet: “It is certainly interesting. But there is always a lot written in the press and then nothing happens. It is speculation.” Nevertheless, he sees the mere existence of the rumor as positive: “The sport is growing. It is only the beginning. The coming years will be very interesting for MotoGP. If someone like Hamilton, who is an iconic personality, wants to buy a team, then that shows this change. I am happy about that.”
Marc Marquez, who is driving for Gresini this season, also saw the matter in this light: “If that’s true, then it’s good for the sport. And even if it’s not true, it’s good for the sport, because we need people to talk about MotoGP.” And then he also announced a kind of response to Hamilton: “Maybe I’ll think about buying a Formula 1 team (laughs). But I don’t have enough money for that.” In fact, the F1 teams are probably more in the same price range as the Denver Broncos.