Guenther Steiner was one of the most charismatic and entertaining team principals in F1. When Haas sacked him earlier this month, fans realized that his presence will be hugely missed. New team principal Ayao Komatsu, however, does not want to emulate Steiner. He doesn’t care what popularity that Italian-American had, and wants to take a completely different approach.
Steiner was known to be witty, outspoken and erratic with his communication. These became very evident after he rose to stardom through Netflix’s Drive to Survive. In certain ways, his popularity among fans because of his personality was what kept the spirit of the team alive.
Komatsu wants to take a more technical approach. He insists he won’t be looking to replace Steiner in the paddock. According to him, the 58-year-old has a completely different set of strengths and weaknesses. He said to Autosport:
“He’s a very different person. He’s a very different character, as you know. He’s got very different strengths and weaknesses to me, so I’m not trying to be somebody else.”
Replacing Steiner’s energy is difficult, and Netflix will be sad about Steiner leaving F1 (for the time being). He was a huge asset to the series, and Komatsu is not looking to bring the same things to the table. From a technical point of view, however, Haas seems optimistic about the future.
What does Haas look like without Guenther Steiner?
Guenther Steiner’s name became synonymous with Haas. He was their team principal since the very beginning in 2016, but things never really took off in terms of results. They achieved a fifth place finish in the standings in 2018, but thereafter, they became a perennial backmarker.
A 10th place finish in 2023 drew the line for Gene Haas, who decided to appoint Komatsu in hopes for a brighter future. While Haas did gain popularity because of Steiner’s fame, technical side of things became a concern.
In the immediate future, that is the area they want to address. They have a stable driver’s line up in Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, plus with money coming in from their sponsors, things could be looking up.
As for Steiner, he will take time away from F1, and is not interested in what Haas will do for the future.
