In the days gone by since Guenther Steiner‘ s sacking at Haas, Gene Haas, the owner of the American outfit, has come under immense fire from F1 journalists all over. Now, ESPN F1’s Nate Saunders has dug into the 71-year-old as being the real reason behind the team’s failures since it entered the sport back in 2016.
Steiner was sacked on the back of a devastating 10th place constructors’ finish last year. Speaking on the UNLAPPED podcast, Saunders opined,
“It always felt like he [Guenther Steiner] was always competing with one arm behind his back. He couldn’t fully utilize the arsenal that other team bosses and teams could. And ultimately the only person to blame there, is Gene [Haas].”
According to Saunders, Haas failed to “read the room”. Steiner had always been very vocal about how the team lacked in terms of infrastructure. However, the American’s unwillingness to invest further resources and funds into the team meant that Haas were always falling two steps behind to their rivals.
Guenther Steiner did have some responsibility to shoulder for the team’s failure. That being said, Haas’ poor judgment in the managerial and administrative wing of the team means that majority of the blame for the Kannapolis-based team’s struggles fall on his shoulders. Despite this, the team’s 10th placed finish last year was the tipping point for Gene Haas to kick his close confidante out of the team for good.
Could Gene Haas’ injured pride be the real reason for sacking Guenther Steiner?
While the team bore Haas’ name on the front door, it was Steiner who was running the show. With Haas pumping in the cash but Guenther Steiner winning all the popularity awards, it could be a bruised ego that led to Steiner facing the other axe at the team.
Steiner knew that the Haas brand was closely influenced by his stature in the paddock and within the team. Reportedly, he was even pushing to get an equity ownership in the team to solidify his status as a stakeholder.
Red Bull taskmaster, Helmut Marko hypothesized Steiner’s growing popularity owing to Netflix and his desire to rub shoulders with Gene Haas as the real reason for his departure. Marko reportedly told F1-insider.com,
“I’ve only heard that he wanted to convert his popularity into shares in the team. That no longer appealed to owner Gene Haas. It is also the case in our sport that the team always takes precedence over the individual. Steiner became a victim of his popularity.”
Steiner can now take a breather after eight relentless years in the F1 paddock. While he may not want to jump into the managerial circus again soon, he has hinted towards an immediate F1 comeback, most probably in the media sector.
