Guenther Steiner is no longer leading an F1 team after leaving his role as Haas’ team principal in 2023. Still, he is content with the way things are in his life and revealed that the last thing he needs is to rejoin a team like Haas.
Steiner appeared on the recent episode of the Formula for Success podcast, where he revealed his plans for the future. The Italian American said,
“I’m not going around trying to get a job as a team principal in an existing team at the moment. For me, just going into a team that is seventh/eighth, and is fighting for the same thing, like we did at Haas, not to become last, that is not what I want to do anymore. I’m done with that“.
Steiner added that he will only be keen on making a return if he gets to lead a side that has the potential to fight for at least, podium finishes. He won’t grab at an opportunity, “just to be there.”
Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin are the only teams that have consistently competed towards the front of the grid since 2023. However, managing big sides like these will be different from anything Steiner ever experienced at Haas. These outfits want only one thing – to win. At Haas, Steiner and Co. would rejoice when they scored a solitary point.
It may look like a big jump, but some individuals have gone from leading a backmarker to successfully becoming the boss of a winning team. Steiner looks to take inspiration from one of them before making a return to the F1 grid.
Guenther Steiner will hope to take confidence from Fred Vasseur’s success
Fred Vasseur left Sauber in 2023 to join Ferrari, and many didn’t know what to expect. The Hinwil-based outfit was considerably weaker on almost all fronts, and Vasseur rarely had any reason to celebrate. Still, the Frenchman rose to the challenge while managing Ferrari, arguably the biggest team in the sport.
His appointment coincided with Red Bull’s most dominant season, but Ferrari still managed to sneak in a win thanks to Carlos Sainz’s heroics in Singapore. This year, a Vasseur-led Ferrari has already won two races in eight attempts, and the future already looks bright.
If Steiner does get a chance to manage a bigger team, he would look to emulate Vasseur’s success. Something he suggested on the podcast.
However, at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a vacancy in any of the top teams. It points towards Steiner spending more time on the sidelines and continuing to fulfill his duties as a pundit.
