A motorsport boss has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton has engaged in talks regarding a shock investment signing away from Formula 1.
F1’s owners Liberty Media announced their takeover of MotoGP earlier this year, but it now seems this may not be the only influence from the sport in the series.
KTM motorsport boss, Pit Beirer, has claimed that he has entered talks with the seven-time world champion as an investor in the Austrian brand.
The team's existence has recently been placed under threat after a severe financial crisis, with reported liabilities approaching three billion Euros.
Hamilton would not be the first F1 name to be involved in the championship, with the KTM Factory team having been backed by Red Bull since entering the pinnacle of grand prix motorcycle racing in 2017. The links with Hamilton's F1 rivals is something Beirer insists would not be a problem.
Despite KTM’s reported financial difficulties, Beirer insists they will be racing in 2025 and that his talks with Hamilton are 'concrete'.
"All I can say is that we have had very interesting discussions with his management," Beirer said to Speedweek.
"It is no secret that Lewis Hamilton is interested in MotoGP and is thinking about having his own team. There are concrete discussions here too."
"Anyone who wants to work with us knows how close we are - Red Bull and KTM are inseparable. That has not been an issue in the negotiations so far," emphasised the Baden native.
"An investor is something different to a sponsor. We also work with our sponsors in a very strong partnership.
“If you have partners at the table who give you money for such a great project, then they get involved.
“That should also be a positive thing. If strong partners sit at the table and think things through, then good solutions emerge together. So it is clear that people like that will have a certain say."