P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Why Steiner’s departure is a big loss for Haas F1
In the past two years, all teams except Mercedes and Red Bull have changed their team principals, resulting in a high level of turnover in Formula 1. This is reminiscent of the world of football, where managers are often let go due to a team’s poor performance. In Formula 1, team principals and technical directors are often held accountable for underperformance, despite the many factors at play and the long lead times for improvement. However, in the case of Guenther Steiner, he was considered the heart and soul of the Haas team, having built it from scratch with his larger-than-life personality. Steiner’s idea to forge a partnership with Ferrari and capitalize on their mechanical parts allowed for a realistic and cost-effective project. He successfully secured the necessary funding from Gene Haas and assembled the team, which saw early success with Romain Grosjean’s strong finishes in the first races. However, maintaining that level of performance proved challenging, and Haas has consistently hovered between eighth and tenth place in the championship standings. Overall, Steiner’s achievement in creating the Haas team with a solid long-term plan should not be underestimated.
