“I Should’ve Left Haas in 2022”: Guenther Steiner Regrets Spending Two Extra Years Before Getting Axed

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner recently opened up about his departure from the side, admitting that he felt relief after being let go by Gene Haas before the 2024 Formula 1 season. Speaking at the Oxford Union, Steiner explained the challenges he faced at Haas and expressed regret on not leaving the team earlier when he felt his interest in the side was declining.

Steiner revealed that while he was disappointed with the direction of the team, he struggled to quit on his own. “When it came to an end, for me, I was somehow relieved I didn’t have to make the decision myself to go away,” Steiner shared. “I didn’t see any progress anymore, but I kept on working hard. It was not something that fulfilled me anymore because we were not going forward.”

Looking back, Steiner admitted that he had wanted to leave as early as 2022 when he felt the team was no longer making meaningful progress. However, his competitive nature kept him in the fight.

“You never give up,” he explained. “You believe in something, and you always try to get the best out of it. But in hindsight, I should have left Haas in 2022 when I didn’t see things improving.”

One of the key frustrations for Steiner during his later years with Haas was the financial strategy of team owner Gene Haas. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Gene shifted his approach, focusing on cost-cutting rather than growth and Steiner highlighted the difference between being efficient and being “cheap“.

Haas have improved significantly since Steiner’s departure without a chance in philosophy

The team’s reducing budget under Gene’s “cheap” strategy made it nearly impossible for Steiner to achieve better results. Steiner described the change as a turning point in his time with Haas.

“COVID came and changed our lives… Gene’s vision changed. It became about doing it with as little money as possible, and that’s not something that motivates you. You always want to be efficient, especially in Formula 1 with a cost cap, but you cannot be cheap. There’s a difference between being efficient and cheap. And it was difficult,” Steiner added.

Since Steiner’s departure, Ayao Komatsu has taken over as team principal, and Haas has shown significant improvement with a similar level of budget allocation. In the 2024 season, the team is battling Alpine for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, a dramatic improvement over the previous year when they finished last.