Guenther Steiner Steps Down as Haas Team Principal After 10 Years
Haas, the Formula One team, announced on Wednesday that Guenther Steiner has resigned from his position as team principal after a decade in charge. The shocking departure comes just six weeks before the start of the new F1 season and was mutually agreed upon with team owner Gene Haas.
Ayao Komatsu, the current director of engineering, will be taking over as the new team principal. This decision is part of Haas’ strategy to have a more technical-focused leadership to address their recent lack of form. In 2023, the team finished in last place in the championship.
Steiner has been a key figure for Haas since before their entry into F1 in 2016. He became team principal two years prior and played a crucial role in getting the team approved and set up. He also signed established drivers and established a close technical partnership with Ferrari. Steiner’s outspoken nature and colorful phrases, featured in the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” have made him a well-known figure in the F1 paddock.
However, discussions leading up to the end of the year revealed that Steiner and Haas had different visions for the team’s future, leading to their mutual decision to part ways. The team has struggled in recent seasons, finishing outside the bottom three of the championship since 2018 and placing last in two of the past three seasons. Despite having experienced drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg, the team only achieved four points finishes last year.
Haas emphasized the need for consistency in delivering results and improving their design and engineering capability. Gene Haas expressed his desire to compete properly in Formula One and looks forward to working with Ayao Komatsu to maximize the team’s potential.
Steiner is expected to take some time off before considering his next move in racing. With his profile from the Netflix series, he is likely to receive offers for media appearances or punditry.
The departure of Steiner marks a significant change in Haas’ structure right before the start of the new season. Komatsu’s appointment follows the trend of technical or engineering figures taking up leadership roles at F1 teams. McLaren’s Andrea Stella and Williams’s James Vowles had similar backgrounds before becoming team principals last year.
Komatsu acknowledged the team’s recent lack of competitiveness and expressed the desire to improve their on-track performance. Haas still needs to strengthen its technical department as Simone Resta, the technical director since 2021, also left the team during the offseason.
Steiner’s exit is expected to impact Haas’ profile, given his popularity through “Drive to Survive.” However, Haas hopes that by focusing on their technical push to improve on-track performance, they can overcome their recent struggles.
Required reading: [Photo: Dan Istitene/Getty Images]