Helmut Marko claims Guenther Steiner’s ambitions of co-owning Haas F1 team led to his sacking
Guenther Steiner was ousted from the Haas F1 team after playing a key role in the American squad since its inception.
Helmut Marko [L], Guenther Steiner [R] (images via IMAGO).
Guenther Steiner‘s departure from the Haas F1 team came as a shock to the entire paddock. Due to the lack of information surrounding the Italian-American’s firing from the team, speculations started forming around the paddock. Helmut Marko is amongst those speculating over the ramifications of the team principal’s situation.
The super-hit Netflix F1 docuseries, Drive to Survive showcased Guenther Steiner as the star of the show. This propelled the 58-year-old’s popularity further than just a team’s principal. Hence, the majority of the love for the Italian-American came from the series’ popularity amongst the fans. Hence, this must’ve been one of the major reasons behind the firing of Steiner.
Marko reiterated this situation for the Italian-American and expressed that Steiner potentially wanted to convert his popularity into shares of the team. As a result, the team’s owner Gene Haas disliked this act from the principal and vandalized his position within the team. The 80-year-old highlighted that Steiner became a victim of his popularity negatively.
I've only heard that he wanted to convert his popularity into shares in the team. And owner Gene Haas no longer liked that... Steiner became a victim of his popularity.Marko told F1insider.com.
Guenther Steiner decided to spend some quality time with his family
After being ousted from the Haas F1 team, Steiner was replaced by Ayao Komatsu. Hence, the 58-year-old previously mentioned his discontent with the decision to fire him from the team ahead of the 2024 season. Additionally, Steiner mentioned that he would happily spend some time with his family now after leaving behind the hectic schedule and life of Formula 1.
Apart from being the boss, Guenther was also a father and wanted to be there for his daughter. This was evident from his previous comments where he mentioned that his 14-year-old daughter was demanding and needed him to be there. Hence, an exit from the sport after serving for almost ten years was justified for the sake of his family’s needs.
Although the Italian-American might not have been the best team principal in the recent seasons, the 58-year-old tried his best with the scarce resources available. However, the Haas F1 team needs more highlights for the team and hopes to do their best under the new Japanese team principal.
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Aditya Pandya
(1440 Articles Published)