SUMMARY
- Guenther Steiner will leave Haas with immediate effect after 8 years
- Gene Haas and Steiner had disagreements over the team's direction
There is absolutely no denying that Guenther Steiner is one of the most talented team principals on the Formula 1 grid. Of course, the Italian-American doesn’t have wins or even podiums under his leadership, unlike his rivals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner. However, that doesn’t obstruct the fact that Steiner has, more often than not, helped Haas F1 squad punch above its weight.
Thanks to Steiner, Haas embraced a promising start to its journey in Formula 1 despite the odds favoring a poor phase for the team. And the recruitment of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen only solidified Haas’ place on the grid. What’s fascinating is that the American outfit also spent a fair amount of time leading the mid-field race.
⚠️ | Gene Haas on the team principal change:
“Moving forward as an organization it was clear we need to improve our on-track performances. In appointing Ayao Komatsu as Team Principal we fundamentally have engineering at the heart of our management.”
[via @ChrisMedlandF1]#F1… pic.twitter.com/OjtW9SC3JF
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) January 10, 2024
Behind such an impeccable phase stands Steiner. However, things began to fall apart at an extremely crucial phase – the regulation changes in 2022. It needed something extraordinary from Steiner to help lift Haas out of the rubble. Unfortunately, the part-Italian failed to do so, triggering Haas’ horrendous phase in the sport. Magnussen was called back followed by a highly appreciated Nico Hulkenberg signing.
But, none seemed to work, as Haas continued to fall apart. Barely two years later, it looks like Gene Haas has finally reached the breaking point, as the American business tycoon decided to sack Steiner with immediate effect. But, what is the actual reason behind the fallout between Gene Haas and his most trusted team boss?
Here’s all about the latest Haas F1 saga: Why did Gene sack Guenther Steiner?
Well, the answer’s quite simple – Money! According to The Race, Steiner wanted more investments while Gene Haas was quite happy with how he had been running the team. What’s more, the American owner felt that the team had been underachieving over the years, subsequently taking a jab at Steiner’s leadership at Haas.
At the moment, Haas has a rather low-key base in the UK while also sharing Ferrari’s technical facility in Maranello. And on top of that, Haas also owns an extravagant headquarters in their home turf, the United States. Therefore, Haas believes that the available resources are sufficient enough to help the team achieve something decent, if not extraordinary.
🚨 | Guenther Steiner and Gene Haas disagreed on the team’s direction.
Steiner wanted more investment.
Haas, meanwhile, does not believe better infrastructure is necessary:https://t.co/gk5jTuk9UH
— formularacers (@formularacers_) January 10, 2024
This pretty much explains the rather impulsive call from Haas. Or in an unlikely scenario, Haas has already seen the 2024 challenger and isn’t particularly happy with it. Either way, Steiner is forced to take the blame for this fallout. But, the question is, will the newborn team principal, Ayao Komatsu, prove Steiner wrong or will Haas’ latest decision backfire horribly?