Haas did not renew with Günther Steiner as team principal, opting for a change after the much lower-than-expected results in recent years – in 2023, they finished last in the Constructors’ Championship. It was a somewhat surprising decision, leaving the paddock without one of its most media figures in recent history.
When asked if he was surprised, Steiner commented to Sky Sports F1: ‘Obviously, nobody was happy with the results in 2023, but I didn’t expect this to happen. I knew that the renewal of my contract was coming up, and when a renewal is coming up, it can happen that it doesn’t get renewed’.
About the moment he found out about the decision, Steiner explained: ‘It was a phone call from Gene Haas to me. I was in Italy on my Christmas break, and he called me between Christmas and New Year’s.’
There is speculation that the fame he acquired, largely thanks to the Drive to Survive series, surpassed that of Haas itself and Gene Haas, contributing to his departure. Steiner admitted that it may have been a problem:
– Looking back now, it may have been. But in the end, that celebrity brought a lot of exposure to the team, brought very good sponsors like MoneyGram because they liked it because they could use it. There are always positive and negative aspects in any deal, so maybe there were some positives and someone brought the negatives. These are things you don’t always plan because I wasn’t here trying to be a celebrity’.
The very different opinions of Steiner and Gene Haas are cited as another factor that contributed to the separation, which the Italian commented on: ‘I would say that a fair assessment is when you look at the other teams, where they have gone since the budget cap came into effect, many teams – all of them – have invested in infrastructure. So, it’s not spending money, it’s investing to use the budget cap, the operational budget cap, as best as possible to put money into making the car fast. Some people started in 2020, 2021, some started last year, but everyone is doing it. I think that was one of the things. I look at the others and suggest what needs to be done’.
Gene Haas has already assured that Steiner’s departure was due to the performances falling short of expectations, even admitting to feeling some ’embarrassment’ with the results. The now former team principal reacted: ‘I think everyone can choose his words, but you need to think about the people who work for you and put in a lot of effort. Obviously, when you say these things, you end up having to live with the consequences’.
