P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Guenther Steiner’s contract was always due to expire at the end of last season but it was reportedly Haas who decided not to give him a new deal.
According to reports from BBC and Sky, the Haas Formula 1 team chose not to extend team principal Guenther Steiner’s contract, indicating that he was not technically fired, but rather there were underlying disputes. It was reported that Steiner and team owner Gene Haas had different visions for the team’s future. Steiner’s contract expired at the end of last year and after disagreements on the team’s strategy, it was not renewed. Ayao Komatsu will replace Steiner as team principal for the 2024 F1 season. Gene Haas stated that the decision to part ways with Steiner was made in order to improve the team’s on-track performances. Haas finished last in the F1 constructors’ championship last season and has been hampered by their race pace. Their cost-effective approach involves building their own chassis and aerodynamics surfaces while importing the rest of their components from Ferrari. Steiner previously made the decision to replace driver Mick Schumacher, but even with experienced drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg this year, Haas struggled to move up the grid. Ultimately, Steiner has paid the price for the team’s lack of progress.
