$2.5 billion worth team owner admits he is ’embarrassed’ by Haas F1 teams performance after sacking Guenther Steiner

Guenther Steiner was dismissed from the Haas F1 team on Jan 10, amid Haas's bid to improve results.

$2.5 billion worth team owner admits he is ’embarrassed’ by Haas F1 teams performance after sacking Guenther Steiner

Romain Grosjean and Guenther Steiner (Via IMAGO)

Haas has been a promising project since the American team debuted in Formula 1 in 2016, as one of the only teams on the F1 grid to begin from scratch with minimal funding. The team was conceptualized and brought to reality by Haas Automation founder Gene Haas.

The team never saw any success under the lead of team principal Guenther Steiner, and the Austrian was let go by the team post another disappointing season in 2023. Gene Haas personally was “embarrassed” by the team’s dismal performance, especially after the help they were given via their partnership with Ferrari.

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Ferrari has been very good to us. They have been with us since day one, they build incredible engines. Their suspension is extremely good. We have been using a lot of their hardware.I’m embarrassed that we haven’t been able to do better with it.
Gene Haas said, as reported by motorsport.com

Guenther Steiner’s dismissal is not unanticipated, as the team has not done well at all concerning its expectations. However, it must be noted that Steiner was extremely significant in the contribution to the media aspect of the team.

Haas technical director leaves following Guenther Steiner announcement

Haas recently made the shock announcement of Guenther Steiner leaving the American outfit effective immediately, causing some unrest in the team staff. Steiner’s departure came after the Austrian established himself as a major representative of the team.

Simone Resta
Simone Resta via PlanetF1

Joining Guenther Steiner in his exit is the technical director for Haas, Simone Resta. Resta is quite a major figure in F1, having worked at the Scuderia Ferrari for almost two decades straight before joining Haas in 2021. Resta left a day after Steiner’s resignation was announced.

The staff at Haas being completely revamped will have major effects for the team, but also for the international representation of F1. Steiner being the most major figure portrayed in the Netflix drama Drive to Survive, Netflix will have to move their focus away from the 58-year-old in coming seasons.

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