Having worked with Gene Haas for almost a decade, Guenther Steiner knows a lot about the American’s approach when it comes to leading a team in motorsport. Unfortunately, from what Steiner has to say about him, it doesn’t look like he entirely agrees with the method.
Steiner shed light on Haas’ reluctance to invest during a recent appearance at Oxford Union. The first question he was asked was why there are such stark differences between Aston Martin and Haas despite both being owned by ‘very wealthy individuals’.
Steiner, instead of directly bashing his former employer with whom he fell out with, decided to take the listeners through what Lawrence Stroll (Aston Martin owner) does. “He has got one mission, he wants to win the World Championship,” the ex-Haas Team Principal said.
⚠️ | Dutch Journalist Jack Plooij on what happened between Günther Steiner and Haas:
“Günther and I spoke at the beginning of the week, but we weren’t allowed to ask how it actually went with Haas and what he would do. But then he sent me a message, allowing me to tell what… pic.twitter.com/gdsJRcloA3
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 24, 2024
Stroll also owns Aston Martin’s road-car company, which he aims to elevate with the help of F1, a topic Steiner touched upon. “He built a new facility in Silverstone, a new wind tunnel, everything there. [Fernando] Alonso as a driver, and now an engine contract with Honda. Lawrence is just keeping on investing money.”
Then, Steiner came to Haas, a team that joined the grid in 2016 and has largely been a backmarker since. “His philosophy is, ‘I’m not spending money’,” the Italian-American said about Gene. That, according to Steiner, is the key difference between the two.
Steiner teaches the difference between investing and spending
Stroll invests a lot of money into Aston Martin because he is ambitious, and expects a tenfold return out of it. That is something Gene doesn’t do because his conservative approach has taught him to be happy with mid-table finishes, something Steiner alluded to.
Per the 59-year-old, Gene has been content with their performances in the Championship standings so far. This lack of zeal has likely limited Haas’ scope for growth, as they simply cannot seem to find a way to fight for the podium places.
According to Steiner, Gene looks at investing money as spending. “Investing is, there should be something back. Spending, nothing comes back,” Steiner said.
Perhaps, if what Steiner said is true and Gene actually takes his advice into account, Haas could make major strides in the next few years. For now, however, success doesn’t look to be anywhere in sight.
