After nearly ten years at the helm, Haas team principal Gunther Steiner is leaving the team. Owner Gene Haas opted against renewing Steiner’s contract, blaming him for the lack of podiums and general underperformance at the team.
In the last two years, nine technical directors and eight team principals have changed in Formula 1: Mercedes and Red Bull are the only teams to retain stability,
Gene Haas chose to appoint engineer Ayao Komatsu as the new Team principal, thus becoming the first Japanese team boss in the history of the sport.
Steiner’s demise was having a different vision for the team’s future than Gene Haas.
Steiner wanted more funds and the development of more infrastructure. Gene Haas, meanwhile, wants the team to use its existing budget.
This ultimately triggered Haas’ decision to promote Komatsu. Gene Haas is hopeful this appointment will give management a more technical perspective.
Gunther Steiner’s first words after parting with Haas
Speaking at the Autosport Internation 2023 during the “National Exhibition Center” event in Birmingham, the now-former Team Principal wanted to underline how he was not even able to greet all the employees and thank the fans.
Evidently, his exit from Haas wasn’t the most amicable:
“I didn’t get a chance to say thank you to some people when I left Haas. I would just like to thank all the team members to whom I didn’t get to say goodbye when I left.
“So I’m going to do it this way. And I also want to say to all the fans who supported us while I was there, it’s amazing – thank you all for the support I received and am receiving.”
Steiner was informed of the decision between Christmas and New Year, with Gene Haas deciding not to renew his contract. Regarding this event, Gunther underlined that it was certainly not taken in a positive way.
“Yes, I was hurt by this, but everyone knows me, and everyone knows that I appreciate what they did. However, I would have preferred to tell him directly – ‘Hey guys, thanks for what you did for the team’.”
According to Gunther, it is premature to make a judgment on the actual possibility of significant improvement with Komatsu at the helm.
Steiner also admitted that he doesn’t know what the future holds for him, unsure if future F1 projects will interest him.
“If Formula One wants me, I don’t know! The only thing I know is that I’m in no hurry, and I won’t continue this work if I don’t have motivation. I won’t do it ‘just to do it’.”
