Guenther Steiner admitted that he stayed too long in charge of Haas in Formula 1. The former team principal stated that he should have left the position two years earlier, when he realized that his vision for the future of the project did not coincide with that of the team owner, Gene Haas.
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Steiner led the construction of the team from its preparation for the F1 debut in 2016 until the end of 2023, when his contract was not renewed. In an interview with the High Performance podcast, he explained that the lack of investment in infrastructure was decisive for the disagreement with the owner.
“I think I stayed two years too long. What I should have done better or differently was to explain my vision better so that they would adopt it, but I don’t know if I would have ever managed that. What I should have done was simply say: ‘It’s not working. I’m leaving now’,” Steiner said.
Despite the assessment made with the benefit of hindsight, the former executive said he does not regret staying until 2023. According to him, the situation did not seem as bad at that time as it does now, which explains his decision to continue.
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Steiner’s dismissal from the team was ultimately decided by Gene Haas during a brief phone call. Steiner, however, acknowledged that he was glad not to have to make the decision alone, which he already considered necessary: “When it happened, I was very happy because I did not agree with the direction the team was taking. My vision was different from the owner’s,” he added.
This episode happened while Steiner was in a supermarket with his wife. He said he received the call at the deli counter, and after announcing his departure, he went home and slept peacefully: “I was even happier the next morning when I woke up because a new world opened up and I just wanted to move forward in life,” he concluded.
Since leaving Haas, Steiner has worked as a television commentator, become a frequent presence on The Red Flags Podcast, and took ownership of the KTM Tech3 team, which competes in Moto3 and MotoGP.
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