Guenther Steiner had his contract renewal due at the end of the 2023 F1 season. The American-Italian was expecting a call or meeting with the team owner Gene Haas during the winter break. However, when he did get a call, it was about him being let go by the team. Steiner has now stated that Haas will soon realize that firing him over a call wasn’t the right thing to do.
Steiner had been with the Haas F1 team since its inception in 2014 before it made its debut in F1 during the 2016 season. Having been with the team for about a decade, Steiner was fired over a phone call. What’s worse is that he didn’t get the opportunity to say the final goodbye to the people back at the factory and headquarters.
BREAKING: Guenther Steiner is no longer Haas team principal.
He is replaced by Ayao Komatsu. pic.twitter.com/Gq9bsElsZg
— formularacers (@formularacers_) January 10, 2024
Steiner explained how a “civilized” person would’ve done things differently. He explained how if somebody would’ve been at a team as long as Steiner, brought in good business, and led to a successful investment, at least a proper send-off should be given.
Speaking with the Irish Independent, he said, “When you work with the team for 10 years, you would like to have the chance to say thank you to the team and give them a goodbye. That was harder for me to not even have the chance, as somebody was disrespectful and not giving you the chance.”
“But hey, it’s him [Gene Haas]. At some stage, he will find out that it wasn’t the right thing to do.”
Steiner was asked if he’d spoken with the Haas owner since the sacking call and he replied, “No, I don’t want to.” While the 59-year-old has been doing a lot of media work with German broadcasters and working with the Red Flags podcast, he has had a few legal run-ins with his former team.
Steiner doesn’t have any bitterness towards Gene Haas
Ever since the sacking both Haas and Steiner have filed a lawsuit against each other. Steiner is suing Haas for not giving him the compensation that was due according to what was agreed and signed upon in the contract by Gene Haas.
On the other hand, Haas was suing Steiner for the use of intellectual copyrights in the first book published by the former Team Principal. However, the case against Steiner was recently dismissed.
Despite the sacking and the case that followed, Steiner stated that he has no bitterness towards Gene Haas. He said, “I’m not bitter. I just to get what is right, but I don’t lose any sleep over it.”
