Guenther Steiner claims he has ‘no interest’ in Haas’ future plans after controversial exit

Guenther Steiner was shown the door by Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas amidst a disappointing 2023 season.

Guenther Steiner claims he has ‘no interest’ in Haas’ future plans after controversial exit

Guenther Steiner [L] Gene Haas [R] (images via IMAGO)

Guenther Steiner has been ousted from the Haas F1 team. The 58-year-old who helped build the American team from scratch will no longer be leading the squad. The Italian-American was believed to have differences in opinion compared to team owner Gene Haas regarding its future. Now, Steiner has made it clear that he is not interested in Haas’ plans.

The 58-year-old affirmed that he remains clueless about the team’s future. Steiner pointed out that Gene Haas did not disclose any ideas to the former Team Principal. However, the Italian American highlighted that the 71-year-old was not obliged to do such a thing in the first place. Moreover, Guenther Steiner claimed that he was not interested at all in what Haas would do in the coming months.

I don't know Gene Haas' plans for the future. He didn't share them with me, and he doesn't have to do it, I want this to be clear too. in fact, I am no longer interested in the matter.
Guenther Steiner said at Autosport International
YouTube video

Steiner reckoned that compared to other teams, Haas’ current model might not work in F1 anymore. The American team adopted a radically different approach than its rivals as it relied heavily on partners such as Ferrari and Dallara. As such, the 58-year-old believes that the team might need to rethink its structure to stay competitive in F1.

FS Video
On the other hand, I see where the others are going: the model we started at the beginning I think was very good, but perhaps it is no longer current.

Haas set to have a troubled start to the 2024 season

The American team has lost Technical Director Simone Resta and Team Principal Guenther Steiner in quick succession. This puts Gene Haas’ squad in a tough spot before the start of the upcoming season. Haas suffered from some major problems with its car concept last season and was in dire need of a solution.

Magnussen and Hulkenberg via TalkSport
Magnussen and Hulkenberg (via TalkSport)

However, it seems that the development over the winter might not have resulted in gains with the departure of two top figures. Subsequently, Gene Haas and new Team Principal Ayao Komatsu have limited time to address shortcomings before pre-season testing.

Certainly, the Haas F1 team will go through a major overhaul in its structure in the coming months. However, Gene Haas has dismissed the possibility of more major investment. As such, it remains to be seen if Ayao Komatsu could improve the team’s results after taking the reign from fan-favorite Guenther Steiner.

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