'It's no secret' - Hamilton's mega money motorsport takeover boosted by F1 exit
Long-running speculation over Lewis Hamilton’s move into MotoGP could have been given a boost due to moves at another Formula 1 team. The seven-time F1 champion has long held an interest in the gre…
Long-running speculation over Lewis Hamilton’s move into MotoGP could have been given a boost due to moves at another Formula 1 team.
The seven-time F1 champion has long held an interest in the greatest show on two-wheels, which was significantly boosted by a mammoth takeover.
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Biking fan Hamilton had expressed his interest in buying a MotoGP teamCredit: Getty
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He's now moved over to Italy - the home of MotoGPCredit: Scuderia Ferrari/Handout Photo/PA Wire
At the start of 2024, MotoGP was bought for £3.3billion by Liberty Media - the same company that owns F1.
Liberty’s CEO, Greg Maffei, went on to reveal that Denver Broncos co-owner Hamilton had reached out about buying a team and was later linked to Ducati satellite squad Gresini Racing.
And at the turn of 2025, the motorsports director of struggling giants KTM added that there have been ‘concrete talks’ with the 40-year-old Ferrari driver.
"I can only say that we had very interesting discussions with his management," Beirer told Speedweek.
"It's no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about his own team. Here, too, there are concrete talks."
Now the saga has taken another step, with the revelation that former Sauber F1 boss Alessandro Alunni Bravi is helping Hamilton with a bid.
Reports in Italy, via PlanetF1, claim that Alunni Bravi may have been ‘helping him with the initiative’.
The Italian had been leading Sauber as their ‘Team Representative’ since the start of 2023, but his departure was announced last week with a ‘new venture’ already lined up, and speculation is that could be helping Hamilton into F1.
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Announcing the departure, Sauber COO Mattia Binotto, said: “Having worked closely with him in the months since my arrival to Hinwil, I want to pay tribute to Alessandro, a true team player who came to embody the essence of Sauber throughout the years.
“Alessandro played a wide range of roles within the team, steering it through difficult and exciting times alike.
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The timing could be perfect for Bravi and HamiltonCredit: Getty
“As he moves onto a new venture, the whole company would like to thank him for all his energy and contributions over the years and wish him the best for the future.”
Bravi added: “It is an emotional time as my journey with Sauber reaches its end. Since I joined in 2017, I have seen this team grow and change beyond what anyone could have imagined.
“This organisation went through exciting and difficult times alike, all without ever losing its spirit and its commitment, which is something I find inspiring, and I was proud of being able to represent the team as its public face in the last two years.
“As I move on to a new project, I want to thank Finn Rausing, all those who put so much trust and faith in me at Sauber and Audi, and all the colleagues I have been working with for the last eight years. This team is a family and has a bright future ahead.”
The timing of a takeover would also make some sense, given that Hamilton will now be spending much of his time in Italy having signed up with Ferrari for 2025 and beyond.
MotoGP is the second most-watched sport in Italy behind only football, and the chance to further ingratiate himself into the country could boost his chances of a record-breaking eighth F1 title.
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