Months Before Haas Sacking, Ex-Ferrari Boss Advised Guenther Steiner to ‘Slow Down’

Months Before Haas Sacking, Ex-Ferrari Boss Advised Guenther Steiner to ‘Slow Down’

Guenther Steiner’s time at Haas was memorable, and it turned him into a global star. But it had little to do with his results on the track, ultimately leading to his dismissal. As seen on the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Steiner received a piece of advice related to his career, just months before his sacking. The man who gave him this advice was Mattia Binotto, who himself got sacked by Ferrari in 2022.

Steiner and Binotto’s friendship is strong, and the two Italians opened season 5 of Drive to Survive. After Binotto’s Ferrari departure, many thought he wouldn’t be featured in the latest installment, but the producers included him. Steiner drove to a serene vineyard in the countryside, which turned out to be Binotto’s.

After catching up on life briefly, Binotto urged the 58-year-old to slow down.

“You don’t have to justify if you finish last or second last. It’s all about slowing down Guenther.” 

Steiner was under a lot of pressure throughout 2023, owing to Haas’ underwhelming performance on the track. Binotto asked Steiner to take things easy, as the latter was contemplating a future away from F1. In the end, Steiner did end up leaving Haas and Formula 1 altogether.

Did Guenther Steiner leave on his own terms?

When Steiner’s dismissal became official, the common knowledge was that Gene Haas sacked him over a phone call in December. However, according to Jack Plooji of Ziggi Sport, the Italian-American left on his own terms. Steiner reportedly secured a big sponsorship deal for Haas but wanted shares in return for his work from the owner.

Gene Haas rejected this proposal, and an unhappy Steiner left the team. Even in the latest season of Drive to Survive, Steiner kept insisting that he didn’t want to remain in F1 for the sake of it. He had been leading Haas for a long time, and without results to show for that, his work felt meaningless.

As of now, he has no plans of returning to F1 in a managerial role but is happy to take up commentary duties this season with German broadcaster RTL.

Post Edited By: Aishwary Gaonkar
ferrari Gene Haas Guenther Steiner Haas Mattia Binotto

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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