The upcoming F1 season will see the absence of Haas’ flamboyant leader, Guenther Steiner. He was part of the team since its launch in 2016, but was fired last month, reportedly over a phone call by team owner Gene Haas. Initially, most people believed that performance was the main reason behind Steiner’s sacking. Now it has been revealed that his ambition was what led to his downfall.
According to Jack Plooji, a colleague at Ziggi Sport, Steiner’s sponsorship appeal was the underlying reason. Because Steiner was so good at getting them, he wanted a share in the team. In fact, Plooji states that Steiner was not sacked, he himself left the team.
“Günther found a 20 million sponsor. But told Gene Haas he wanted shares in the team to stay and continue the relationship. Haas however, did not accept, and so Steiner himself left the team.”
Steiner’s connections were crucial in helping the team land multiple sponsorship deals. He even helped them secure Moneygram as a title sponsor. But this time, when Steiner approached the team owner with a new proposal and asked for his shares, the latter rejected the notion.
Nevertheless, this version of the story runs contrary to Steiner’s earlier assertion. Previously, the Merano native claimed to have received a call during the Christmas s from Gene Haas, asking him to quit.
One thing is certain, however, Steiner won’t be a part of the F1 paddock this season. But that doesn’t mean he will be away from F1. Owing to his two decades of expertise in the motorsports industry, he has secured a role as a television commentator for RTL.
How did Guenther Steiner secure his punditry role?
Steiner became a huge star because of Netflix’s docu-series Drive to Survive. This makes the Italian-American aware of his commercial appeal. Steiner went against the idea of taking a break, and decided to make a return to Formula 1 as a pundit. He will work with Channel 10 and RTL, with his new role starting at the season opener in Bahrain.
The 58-year-old seemed enthusiastic about his new position, and drew parallels with Niki Lauda. During aconversation with Autosport, Steiner said,
“ I’m just what they call the expert commentator, like in the good old days Niki Lauda did.”
Steiner also stated that he wanted to fulfill his new duties with expertise. At the moment, the ex-Haas boss is happy with the trajectory of his career, given that he will be able to enjoy F1 without pressure, after a very long time.
