F1 News: MotoGP riders react to Lewis Hamilton-Gresini rumors

(GMM) Lewis Hamilton is not ready to announce that he might be buying into the Ducati-linked Italian MotoGP team, Gresini.

The rumors emerged earlier this week after the seven time world champion’s manager Marc Hynes was spotted in talks with team owner Nadia Padovani at the recent MotoGP event in Assen.

“If it’s true, it’s positive for our sport,” said Gresini rider Marc Marquez, a multiple MotoGP world champion, ahead of this weekend’s MotoGP race in Germany.

“Even if it isn’t true, it’s still positive because we need people talking about this sport,” the Spaniard added. “Maybe I’ll buy a Formula 1 team,” Marquez then joked.

“No, I don’t have enough cash.”

Current championship leader Jorge Martin, a factory Ducati rider, agrees that if Hamilton becomes a MotoGP team owner, “it is a sign that the sport is growing”.

“If someone like Hamilton, who is an icon, wants to buy a MotoGP team, it is because something is changing and that seems very good to me,” he added.

However, when asked very directly at Silverstone if he’s interested in buying Gresini, 39-year-old Hamilton – who moves to Ferrari next year – was non-committal.

“I’ve always loved MotoGP,” he admitted. “I’m interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven’t looked that far into it just yet. But anything’s possible.”

Hamilton already owns an Extreme E team, X44, and in 2022 it emerged that he was part of an investment group that bought the NFL American football team, the Denver Broncos.

Ahead of the British GP, the Mercedes driver continued: “I’m definitely interested in equity, and already with the Broncos, it was already a first step in team ownership.

“And so, yeah, I think over the next five to ten years, there’ll hopefully be more. We’ll see where.”