MotoGP<\/a> and competed as a Yamaha satellite until the end of 2018, before switching to KTM from 2019.<\/p>\n Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
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With KTM, Tech3 became a MotoGP winner for the first time in 2020 with Miguel Oliveira, who took two grand prix victories that season.<\/p>\n
Poncharal was also a long-time president of the International Race Teams\u2019 Association, which was a role he held until earlier this year when he was replaced by LCR team boss Lucio Cecchinello.<\/p>\n
Poncharal will be \u201coverwhelmed by powerful emotions\u201d<\/p>\n
This weekend\u2019s Portuguese Grand Prix – which Tech3 won in 2020 – will mark Poncharal\u2019s penultimate round in charge of his team, and he admitted in an interview with Italy\u2019s GPOne that it will be an emotional few weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrand Prix racing has been my life for almost half a century,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when you dedicate your heart and all your energy to a particular project – and I\u2019m not just talking about racing on the track, but also about the company that has grown steadily and with many long-term employees who form the heart of the business – then it\u2019s tough to say goodbye.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s a heartbreaking scenario. Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta has called me several times recently and reassured me, \u2018You\u2019re not my friend, you\u2019re my brother\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t say goodbye, because we\u2019ll still see each other sometimes in the future. But my adventure as team owner ends on 16 November in Valencia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat will be a very emotional event. I don\u2019t want to say it\u2019s going to be sad, because I\u2019ve given this decision a lot of thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cNow I\u2019m closing a chapter in my life, but this extensive period alone could fill an entire book.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope I\u2019ll be strong enough to appear with a smile and try to hide my emotions a little. But, deep down, I know I\u2019ll be overwhelmed by powerful emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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