“Why Do They Invite This Clown”: Guenther Steiner’s Failed Checkered Flag Attempt Gives Fans Second-Hand Embarrassment

Guenther Steiner’s blunt personality and his portrayal as the ‘funny man who swears’ in Netflix’s Drive to Survive have made him a fan favorite among the F1 community. He’s no longer a part of the sport, but he remains very much in the spotlight.

Steiner was Haas’ team principal between 2016 and 2023, after which, he decided to remain connected to the sport, appearing as a pundit for several broadcasters and media channels.

Being as marketable as he is, Steiner would be a huge asset to those racing ventures who want to be where F1 is today—at the top. Perhaps that’s why Formula E got him to the Miami E-Prix this weekend, something they might have ultimately regretted.

Steiner was given one task—to wave the chequered flag to winner Pascal Wehrlein at the end of the race. Surprisingly, he failed at that.

It was an embarrassing moment for the Italian-American, who couldn’t wave the flag properly, with the wind preventing him from untangling the flag from the pole. For a man of motorsport to do that wasn’t a good look, according to many fans, who decided to call him out on social media.

“Why do they invite this clown?” a user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), with a GIF showing an eye-roll expression. Meanwhile, another fan took a jab at the 60-year-old by using his own swearing style of criticism: “Can’t wave a f….. flag.”

A taste of his own medicine for a man who loves to throw the F-word around!

Many also wondered why he was twirling the flag instead of waving it, which could’ve led to the flag getting tangled.

Formula E, seeing the funny side of things, captioned their post, “That flag did NOT want to cooperate.” But their followers were having none of it.

Some were just joking about Steiner being chosen to perform this task by the organizers, but others were dead serious. To understand why, it’s important to recognize Steiner’s immense popularity in America.

F1’s growth in the United States was synonymous with the advent of Drive to Survive, which turned Steiner into a nationwide phenomenon. Simply being Haas’ team principal made the team more valuable—something that ultimately contributed to his exit, as team owner Gene Haas reportedly didn’t like how popular he had become. Plus, Steiner resides in America and has become a cult figure.

The 60-year-old is also an ambassador for F1’s Miami GP, which takes place at the Autodrome every year.

However, the E-Prix took place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, 46 miles south of the Grand Prix track. Having been held only once in 2015, the Miami E-Prix returned to the Formula E calendar in the 2024-25 season, and they chose the road course of the Homestead Speedway to host the race.

For Steiner, the weekend turned out to be rather forgettable, thanks to his mishap with the flag—an incident reminiscent of the 2022 US GP, where Apple CEO Tim Cook waved the chequered flag in the most unenthusiastic manner.

Like Steiner today, Cook was also trolled mercilessly by fans. But at least Steiner can take pride in the fact that he did his job with a smile on his face, no matter how poorly it went.