Guenther Steiner was sacked after the 2023 season by the Haas F1 Team. The former team principal got the news over a call from Gene Haas. Many fans retaliated against the same as Steiner was amongst the most popular people in the Drive to Survive (DTS) series. The American-Italian, who became a celebrity because of the series, now credits the show for keeping Haas afloat.
Steiner slammed the Haas owner for being skimpy while allocating funds to the team. Haas F1 has the lowest number of personnel at around 200 people. The team even has the smallest pit wall. Haas cut down on the expenses as much as possible and wanted the team to deliver bigger results.
The most relatable man in sport.
Guenther Steiner. The undeniable main character of Drive To Survive. pic.twitter.com/MWTguwa2vn
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers) March 17, 2022
Regardless, Steiner accredited Haas’ survival to DTS in his new book ‘Unfiltered’. The series along with the controversial 2021 championship fight gave a big boost to the value of the F1 teams. Claire Williams still regrets selling Williams a year before the DTS boom.
The former Haas boss’ unfiltered approach gained him and the team a huge following. Per the Telegraph UK, Steiner said, “I would say that one of the main things that kept us afloat in the years after 2020”. He explained how his approach gave the team the exposure on the series as he added, “Haas would not have had the love people have shown the team over recent years, and I know for a fact it made a big difference.”
The Italian detailed how he “swapped running a competitive team for mainly problem-solving and firefighting, in terms of both morale and exposure”. There was a clear shift in priorities from Steiner’s side in the running of the team to make it more intriguing for the DTS audience.
Drive to Survive creator credits Steiner’s approach for Haas’ success within the series
Drive to Survive creator James Gay-Rees praised Steiner for giving unrestricted access to the team. The Italian gave the crew the full freedom to ask him anything and film him wherever they liked. Gay-Ress also suggested that Steiner kept his word and wore the most mics in the paddock.
Steiner said, “If I did [watching himself on DTS] I might see things I don’t like about myself and start altering my behavior. Don’t fok with perfection, that’s what I think! In general, I don’t watch myself in anything.”
The fans loved the former Haas team boss’ raw and natural approach as his scenes seemed real and not plotted. To keep this unfiltered raw approach, Steiner refused to watch any episodes of the series.
