F1 fans have been buzzing ever since Netflix released season 5 of Drive to Survive on February 24. Similarly to the previous seasons, the latest season also showcases the best behind-the-scenes moments from last year’s campaign.
One individual who featured extensively in season 5 is Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. The 57-year-old had a busy 2022 season as he had to make several crucial decisions to guide the American outfit in the right direction.
Several Drive to Survive season 5 episodes feature the behind-the-scenes moments from Haas’ 2022 campaign and navigate these instances through the point of view of Guenther, who found himself under tremendous stress during this time.
One of these episodes features how Guenther spends his time relaxing when he’s at home with his family. The episode also features Guenther’s wife, Gertraud Steiner, who hilariously calls her husband a ‘donkey’ to explain the way the 57-year-old deals with his stresses.
Guenther Steiner’s struggles in 2022 season explained
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner was put on the spot from the very beginning of the 2022 season. The team were pressured to not only part ways with Russian sponsor Uralkali but also forced to sack Russian driver Nikita Mazepin just a few days before the campaign began.
As a result, the Italian motorsports executive was required to decide who he would replace Mazepin with. While Guenther eventually made a good decision to bring Kevin Magnussen back, this was far from the end of his troubles.
During most of the season, Guenther was required to deal with the pressure of Mick Schumacher underperforming. The German driver, who eventually lost out on his seat at the end of the season, managed to score only 12 points and was involved in several crashes throughout the campaign.
All the pressure of Mick repeatedly failing to live up to expectations would fall on Guenther’s shoulders and he would have to answer to Haas’ owner, Gene.
‘He takes it personally’: Gertraud opens up on husband’s personality
Episode 4 of Drive to Survive season 5, Like Father, Like Son, explains Mick Schumacher’s struggles and how Guenther found himself on the receiving end on multiple occasions.
In this episode, Gertraud Steiner gave a hilarious take on how her husband would deal with such pressure situations. “Guenther takes it very personally. The stress has risen. It’s like carrying a backpack that is getting heavier. It’s getting heavy, like a donkey,” she explained.
While the 57-year-old was extremely supportive of Mick at the start of the season, his frustrations were clear as the season progressed.
After the 23-year-old crashed at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Guenther told Gene, “We gave him a year to learn. And what does he do? In the second race, he destroys the car because the other one is faster.
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