Guenther Steiner sues Haas for withholding benefits he ‘earned’ during his 7-year tenure as team principal

Guenther Steiner is one of the most recognizable faces in F1.

Guenther Steiner sues Haas for withholding benefits he ‘earned’ during his 7-year tenure as team principal

Guenther Steiner and Gene Haas (Via: Imago)

The off-track action just keeps on giving during the ongoing 2024 F1 season. It has come to light that the axed Haas boss, Guenther Steiner, has recently sued the team for withholding the benefits he earned during his long tenure.

Haas has been on the grid since 2016 and until last year, everything related to the outfit revolved around Guenther Steiner. He has a massive reputation in the sport and thus, he has decided to take legal action against Haas for failing to pay him the commission he earned between 2021 and 2023.

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The lawsuit officially states the following.

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After years of accepting the benefits of Mr. Steiner's reputation, experience, and deep connections within the sport, Haas F1 cannot withhold from Mr. Steiner the benefits he has earned.
As per Guenther Steiner’s official courthouse documents

Guenther Steiner was relieved of his duties as Haas boss ahead of the ongoing campaign. It came across as a shocking event to the fans and Steiner himself. Since then, Ayao Komatsu has been leading the charge for the Kannapolis-based team. Moreover, as things stand, Haas has so far managed to amass five points in the 2024 Constructors Championship.

Is Haas still using Guenther Steiner’s name in an unauthorized fashion?

While Guenther Steiner has sacked Haas for the compensation he has not received, some other reasons have also come to light. The Italian-American is not happy with the team using his name, image, and likeness to sell merchandise.

Guenther Steiner (via Imago)
Guenther Steiner (via Imago)

As indicated earlier, Steiner has a well-known reputation in F1 and is one of the most recognizable faces in the sport.

Haas F1 has no right to use Mr Steiner's name, image, and likeness or to exploit them in any form of media after the termination of his employment. Haas F1 has not compensated Mr Steiner for its unauthorised use of his name, image, and likeness.
Guenther Steiner via the same document

Guenther Steiner has been pivotal in the interest that F1 has generated in recent years. Despite him not being in the sport anymore, he is still a fan favorite and will remain so for a long time. Moreover, other than Steiner’s recent suing bombshell, just a few weeks back it came to light that he is planning on buying a team in the sport. The 59-year-old could be in the F1 headlines again in the near future.

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