Guenther Steiner has disclosed the details surrounding his departure from Haas.
The F1 offseason kicked off with the unexpected departure of Haas’ team principal.
It became evident that team owner Gene Haas decided not to renew Steiner’s contract, which had reached its end.
Despite both men being present at the F1 Bahrain Grand Prix, they did not cross paths or engage in conversation, according to Steiner.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Steiner expressed the challenges of the past year or so. He noted the disparity between Haas and other teams in terms of investment in infrastructure following the introduction of the budget cap in F1.
Steiner emphasized his inability to influence such decisions due to not owning the team or having the financial capacity to do so.
He acknowledged that Gene Haas preferred to operate the team according to his own vision, indicating that their differing perspectives led to the non-extension of Steiner’s contract, a decision Steiner accepted.
Steiner gained prominence through Netflix’s Drive To Survive series, having led Haas since its entry into F1 in 2016.
His strategic acumen was widely praised for sustaining the team, although last year’s performance saw Haas finishing at the bottom of the constructors’ championship.
Ayao Komatsu, Haas’ former technical director, succeeded Steiner as team principal for the current year.