A boss in a rival sport has revealed that Lewis Hamilton is in talks over a shock team ownership move.
MotoGP, the top class of motorbike road racing, was bought out by Formula 1 owners Liberty Media for some $4.4bn this year, and one of F1's biggest names is also looking to get involved.
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 linked with MotoGP team KTM
Despite KTM’s 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."