Guenther Steiner, the ex Team Principal for the Haas Formula One Team [from 2016 to 2023], recently voiced criticism towards his former boss, Gene Haas, founder of the NASCAR race team Haas CNC Racing, now known as Stewart-Haas Racing. Steiner pointed out Haas’s shortcomings as a leader.
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Steiner shared that his tenure with Haas ended unexpectedly in December 2023 while he was out shopping for a holiday ham, receiving the news that his contract would not be renewed. This marked a sudden close to a collaboration that spanned over a decade.
Despite the unceremonious end, the former Team Principal expressed no regrets about the split, though he acknowledged, it “could have ended a lot better” given his extensive contributions to the team.
“Doing it like this (on the phone) is a little bit cheap if you build up a company for somebody and make him half a billion dollars. The last thing I want is to speak with him. I don’t need him anymore.” Steiner stated to The Athletic in an interview.
Steiner is currently locked in a legal dispute with Haas, alleging that he hasn’t received the commissions he’s owed for several years. The former team member also claimed that the team is still using his image to sell merchandise and feature him on their website.
On the other side, Haas Automation, the sponsor of the Formula One team owned by Gene Haas and the parent company of the racing team, has taken legal action against Steiner and his publisher, Ten Speed Press.
They accused Steiner of trademark infringement, alleging in the lawsuit that he unlawfully used the Haas Automation trademarks in his 2023 autobiography, “Surviving to Drive.”
Haas is set to reshape his NASCAR involvement with fewer charters
While Tony Stewart and Haas announced in May their decision to dissolve Stewart-Haas Racing by the end of the 2024 season, the latter revealed in late June his plans to remain in the NASCAR arena. He will launch the Haas Factory Team in 2025, operating with a two-car NASCAR Xfinity Series team and maintaining a single Cup charter.
Until Kevin Harvick was associated with the team, there was no news of the team ceasing their operations. Harvick had raced for SHR since 2014, winning the season championship in his first year. Despite winning twice in 2022, 2023 saw him unable to secure a victory.
Following Harvick’s exit last year, Stewart expressed confidence in newcomers like Noah Gragson and Josh Berry. However, the current season has been challenging for the team, with only Chase Briscoe’s win at Darlington standing out. But the victory came after SHR’s planned exit from the sport was already publicized.
Berry and Gragson, both rounding out their first full-time season with SHR, have also performed considerably well. Berry has secured two top-5s and four top-10s, while Gragson has one top-5 and seven top-10s to his name.
Briscoe, meanwhile, is navigating the top 12 of the playoffs. Given time, these drivers might have formed the foundation for a revitalized Stewart-Haas Racing, rising from its proverbial ashes.
