Guenther Steiner makes major Haas exit statement after surprise F1 axe

Guenther Steiner has said that, in hindsight, he should have left Haas earlier rather than waiting for his sacking.

Steiner had been team boss of the Haas F1 team ever since it entered the sport in 2016 but was released by the squad last winter after another tough season for the American squad.

Guenther Steiner: When you’re in the trenches, you don’t realise

Now a free agent but embracing the media world following his split from Haas, Steiner has capitalised upon the public enjoyment of his straight-talking, no-nonsense approachability and has now written a new book called ‘Unfiltered: My Incredible Decade in Formula One’.

Carrying out a series of interviews to coincide with the launch of his new book, including with PlanetF1.com , Steiner spoke about how he feels, in retrospect, he should have stepped away from the Haas squad earlier than the eventual end.

“I should have left earlier,” he told Mirror Sport .

“I was fighting an uphill struggle where I had no chance to win.

“We started off, we had nothing. We worked our way in to be respected in F1. We achieved a lot of things. But then, after Covid was over, there was no traction anymore.

“We were spinning our wheels, you know? It’s more of the same. I want to have success. And what is success? Going on the podium, trying to win, at least to have a fair chance to go on the podium.

“But if you yourself think, ‘It’s not going to happen with how we are doing it, the best we can hope for is getting sixth or in a fantastic year, fifth’… I’ve done that, got the T-shirt. But when you’re in the trenches, you don’t realise it anymore. You keep on going. But when you’re out, you realise, ‘Wow, should I not have left before?’ Yes.”

Haas is having a stronger season in F1 2024, having climbed to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship by way of a series of points finishes. Earlier this week, the American squad landed a huge new technical partner as it confirmed a deal has been reached with Japanese manufacturer Toyota through its motorsport arm Toyota Gazoo Racing.

But Steiner says he felt incapable of being able to make the critical step forward to reach success with Haas, with the team yet to score even its first podium – let alone a win.

“It wasn’t going to be possible,” he said.

“When you’re in there, you always try to do your best for the team. But then, when you’re a great distance – I’m 60 next year, and you keep on fighting for more of the same. You just work day and night, put all the energy in and the best and the only thing you can do is fail.

“You cannot win because the limitation is there. You’ve got the limitation, because if you look at the other teams, I mean, they’ve got the better facilities, they’ve got more money to spend on development. Everything is there, and I don’t think I’m smarter than them because they’re pretty smart people. If I’m as smart as them, I’m already proud, already happy. I don’t need more, and that’s what you have to realise.

“You have to look at yourself in the mirror. How can I do this? I cannot. But when you’re in there, you forget about that, because you just keep on working, you know? But then when you’re out of it, you say, ‘Well, would it have not been better to leave’, I don’t know, in the middle of ’22, saying, ‘Ah, this is not going to work, I’ll just try to do something different’.”

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Guenther Steiner: There was no respect shown towards me

While team owner Gene Haas opted against continuing with Steiner in charge of the squad, instead promoting chief engineer Ayao Komatsu to replace Steiner in the leadership role, the former team boss said he had felt disrespected by the nature of the split.

Steiner has taken legal action against Haas in North Carolina, suing his former team for an alleged breach of contract as he claims he’s still owed money for his services.

“I don’t regret it. I think it wouldn’t have been necessary, you know? It could have been done completely differently,” he said.

“There was no respect shown towards me, to be honest. I even have to fight for my money. You build up something like this, and I think for what was invested and what came out, is a pretty good return on it. But am I upset? No. There’s a lot of positive things in the world. I mean, why would I lose any sleep over it?

“I go through the motions and try to get what I think is owed to me, and the rest, I don’t really care. I don’t care about Gene Haas, as I don’t care about a billion other people who I don’t know. I’m good, I’m feeling pretty happy and I’m in a good place. I know I’ve got a lot of friends, I’ve got a good family. I don’t speak with Gene Haas, and I don’t really care.”

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