Guenther Steiner believes that Gene Haas never clearly defined what he wanted to achieve in F1 and even wonders if the American businessman has lost interest in the sport.
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Steiner had participated in the creation of the Haas F1 Team, which joined the grid in 2016, before leaving his position as team principal in early 2024 following deep disagreements with its owner about the team’s future.
In ten seasons, Haas has yet to secure a win or a podium. Its fifth place in the constructors’ championship in 2018 remains its best result.
Ambitions that became incompatible
“Gene Haas, you would have to ask him directly what he wanted to do with the team, because I myself still haven’t understood it,” Steiner explains in the High Performance Podcast. “When I participate in a competition, I want to win. I fully understand that only one can achieve that, but you have to do your best and not just aim to participate.”
Steiner recalls that the project had a clear direction at the start and that Haas F1 Team immediately achieved encouraging results: “At the beginning, there was a clear plan. Entering Formula 1 is difficult, as we can see today with Cadillac. We quickly experienced success, then a few bad years. That’s normal in sport.”
But the relationship between the two men gradually deteriorated: “At some point, I don’t know… Maybe he lost interest in the sport, maybe he thought things should be done differently. Our relationship simply deteriorated over time.”
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In hindsight, Steiner even feels he stayed too long: “I think I stayed two years too long. What I should have done differently was to better sell my vision to the owner.”
Steiner no longer wanted to just make up the numbers
It was mainly from the end of 2022 and during 2023 that the Italian realized his ambitions were no longer compatible with those of Haas.
Observing the investments made by other teams, Steiner felt it was necessary to significantly develop the structure to hope to take the next step: “I spent ten years trying to score points and finishing seventh, eighth, sixth, ninth, or tenth. At some point, you have to put yourself in a position where the goal becomes the podium.”
Without the necessary means to aim higher, Steiner no longer found enough motivation in the project: “If you no longer believe you can reach the podium and scoring a point on the weekend no longer satisfies you, then you have to change. For me, leaving was therefore a good thing.”
Replaced by Japanese engineer Ayao Komatsu, who fostered closer ties with Toyota, Steiner has transitioned to being a TV consultant on Grand Prix and co-owner of the KTM Tech3 team in MotoGP.
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