The new leader of Haas F1, Ayao Komatsu, who took over from Steiner, issued a warning ahead of the Bahrain season opener on March 2. He stated that the United States-owned Formula 1 team, which finished last among the 10 teams in 2023, would likely be competing at the back of the pack initially.
In the race, Kevin Magnussen secured a 12th place, followed by his teammate Nico Hulkenberg’s 10th place in Saudi Arabia. Both drivers scored points with ninth and tenth place finishes in Australia last Sunday.
Steiner, during a video call on Wednesday, after being announced as an ambassador for the Miami Grand Prix in May, praised the team and former technical director Simone Resta for their work on the car. He mentioned that the car was completed last year, before his departure as team principal.
According to Steiner, he accurately predicted the team’s performance, as he was aware of wind tunnel data indicating where the team would end up. He criticized the team for initially downplaying their expectations and then surpassing them. He conducted interviews with the top three finishers in the Melbourne race.
Steiner did not express any negative feelings towards Gene Haas and the team. He acknowledged the hard work of the technical team in Italy and stated that only time will reveal what lies ahead for the team.
In addition to his role at Haas, Steiner also worked in F1 television. He gained followers through his direct and sometimes profanity-laden appearances in the Netflix documentary series ‘Drive to Survive’. Steiner assured fans that he will continue to be involved with the series, although he is unsure how much of his material will be used.
Steiner has a long career in motorsport, starting as a rally mechanic in the mid-80s and progressing to top rally teams such as Prodrive and M-Sport. He entered the world of Formula 1 with Jaguar from 2001 to 2003, followed by a stint at Red Bull from 2005 to 2008. In 2014, Steiner returned to the F1 paddock to lead Gene Haas’s F1 venture for a decade, until his departure before the start of the 2024 F1 season.
