Following the sudden axing of Guenther Steiner from Haas, a plethora of theories behind the reasons for the move caught wind. According to an update provided on X by F1 reporter Lawrence Barretto, a possible reason tipping the scales against Steiner was the fact that he and Gene Haas did not see eye to eye when it came to the team’s plans, per a report from GP Blog.
“I understand Steiner and owner Gene Haas had differing views on the team’s path forward and, thus, it was decided to go their separate ways,” explained Barretto.
The fundamental clash between the top dogs of Haas was over the matter of the team’s potential in its current form. While Steiner argued they would make little progress given their extremely limited budget, Gene Haas felt the Italian engineer did not use the available resources to their full extent.
As such, both parties had opposing views on what the team’s priorities should be for 2024. Consequently, Gene had no choice but to let go of his side’s team principal of the last eight years. Gene perhaps believes that a change in leadership will help the Haas team achieve their goals despite their constrained finances.
I believe Steiner’s contract expired at the end of last year. Following the disagreement on the future strategy, that contract wasn’t renewed. https://t.co/hIOVJbeG4T
— Lawrence Barretto (@lawrobarretto) January 10, 2024
Another pivotal reason behind the axing could be Haas’ finishing position and the subsequent loss of prize money. After finishing P8 in 2022, Haas endured their second-worst season in history when they finished rock-bottom in 2023 with just 12 points on the board.
Given the same, they suffered a loss of $20 million in prize money from last year. Barretto’s tweet was also in line with the exit of Haas Technical Director Simone Resta, who left the team over a difference of opinion with Gene Haas. Resta will now be joining the Ferrari camp but might not be a part of their F1 division.
Guenther Steiner was always Haas’ saving grace
While Lawrence Barretto pointed out how a difference of opinions led to the ousting of Guenther Steiner from the Haas team, he also claimed the 58-year-old was perhaps their most valuable asset. As such, the influence of the Italian engineer might not have impressed team owner Gene Haas.
Furthermore, David Croft and Damon Hill attributed the termination to Steiner’s rising off-track popularity. Croft claimed the axing meant F1 lost a “massive character” who was very popular and transcended the sport in some ways.
Meanwhile, Hill said that the additional charge Steiner would take with his engagement in the upcoming TV Series and publishing his book might have clashed with Gene Haas’ expectations.
Serving as team principal for Haas since its inception in 2016, Steiner led the team through thick and thin. He was there to help guide them through the COVID-19 pandemic and endured endless struggles to ensure the team stayed afloat. As such, the sudden departure serves as a deep emotional scar for many F1 fans and perhaps Steiner as well.
