F1 | Steiner talks about his farewell to Haas: “Investments were needed”

It's only the second week of a particularly cold January, but for the world of Formula 1 the last few have been hot days, especially the revolution involving Haas.

On Wednesday the American team announced the end of the relationship with Gunther Steiner, the historic Team Principal who had led the team after contributing to its birth in 2016. His figure was in fact central to the creation of the team and the idea of the project based on the collaboration with Ferrari, which since the first year of activity has allowed it to be on the track with a reduced investment compared to other central group companies.

However, after eight years at the helm of the team, it was a call that came in the middle of the Christmas holidays that marked the end of the collaboration between the South Tyrolean and Haas, who decided not to renew his contract which expires at the end of 2023. At the basis of the decision, as explained by the team owner himself, there would be both the results on the track and disagreements on what the team needed to try to move up the rankings after a season that ended with a bitter tenth place.

If on Thursday it was Gene Haas who told his version of events, underlining how he felt humiliated by the results on the track and the fact that the team had not been able to make the most of the material made available by Ferrari, today it was Steiner himself to explain his point of view on separation.

From the stageAutosport International 2024 at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham, Steiner confirmed that he was informed of the non-renewal between Christmas and New Year, adding that such sudden communication did not allow him to thank in person all the people on the team with whom he worked during the his adventure in Haas.

“Can I start with a greeting from myself? I didn't have the chance to thank some people when I left Haas. I would like to thank all the members of the team, to whom I couldn't give a proper farewell when the relationship with Haas ended ”, explained Steiner, opening his speech on stage.

“So I'm going to do it this way. And I also want to say to all the fans who supported us while I was there, it's fantastic – thank you all for the support I received and am receiving, so I'm really grateful. It hurt [non poter salutare] but they all know me and know that I appreciate what they have done. It's always better to tell them, it would be nice to say: 'Hey guys, thanks for what you did for the team'.”

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

Gene Haas, Owner and Founder, Haas F1, Guenther Steiner, Team Director, Haas F1

Steiner did not hide his surprise at the fact that his contract was not renewed: “It was a bit of a surprise. Gene called me and told me he didn't want to extend his contract that expired at the end of the season. Gene felt this was the way he wanted to move the team forward. He is the owner and if you are the owner of something, you have the right to make the decisions he wants.”

At the basis of the separation between the former Team Principal and the American team there would be differences regarding the investments necessary to improve the team and lift it from the less noble areas of the ranking, including the exploitation of CapEx, i.e. that part of the budget outside from the Cost Cap that teams can use to improve their structures. In the first interview given after the announcement, Gene Haas underlined the importance of the collaboration with Ferrari and how saddened and humiliated he was to see that the team had not made the most of the package made available by the Cavallino brand.

“If he feels like that, it's his feeling and he can say it. Nobody is proud that the team is tenth. We didn't have a good season in 2023, we all know that, but in my opinion when you're down it doesn't matter how you fell , but how do you get up again”, said Steiner during the eventAutosport International 2024.

However, as noted by the former Team Principal himself, Formula 1 has seen profound changes in the last ten years. The idea of ​​making the most of the partnership with Ferrari was born in a certain context and, for years, has allowed us to take to the track with a reduced investment compared to other mid-table teams, also gaining some great satisfaction, such as fifth place in the manufacturers' ranking in 2018. However, a model that has worked in a specific historical context is not always able to remain effective even in the long term and the lack of investments outside the budget cap begins to make itself felt, especially keeping in mind that the other teams are gearing up by continuing to improve their infrastructure.

“I see where others are going [investendo] and the model we started with at the beginning [quello della collaborazione con Ferrari], I think it was a great model. But perhaps it is no longer relevant in the context we are in now. But who am I to say that?” Steiner said.

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23

Williams was a pioneer on this issue, with James Vowles pushing for a long time to increase the CapEx ceiling in order to be able to make larger investments with the behind-the-scenes support of Dorilton Capital, which since its arrival has been making available further funds to close the technological gap with rivals. In view of Audi's arrival in 2026, Sauber is also working and investing to update its structures, while the case of AlphaTauri is more particular, whose relationship with Red Bull is becoming increasingly close. We must not forget the commitment of Alpine, Aston Martin and McLaren in renewing their factories either: if the first two are pushing for the future, the Woking team has already put into operation a new wind tunnel and the new simulator, to to which other interventions are added to update the MTC.

A theme also highlighted by Steiner himself, who added that in recent years all the other teams have moved in this direction. The risk is that of finding ourselves isolated and increasingly dependent on Ferrari, but also behind on other elements created independently, unlike the teams which instead took advantage of the regulations to make important investments.

“Since we chose that model ten years ago, F1 has changed a lot, especially after the Covid period, in terms of how much it has grown, how much it has become bigger, how much it is different and how much it has changed with the budget cap. If you look at all the other teams, they are all gearing up. They started preparing two years ago, some last year, so they are all strengthening themselves and investing a lot in the future, because F1 has taken a very good path and is what you need to do to stay competitive,” said the South Tyrolean.

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

Guenther Steiner, David Croft

“I don't know Gene Haas' plans for the future. As I said before, he hasn't shared them with me, and by the way he doesn't have to, I want to make that clear as well.”

Steiner underlined that it is not just about using the budget cap limit that counts, an aspect on which Haas has nevertheless made progress in 2023 thanks to the arrival of a new main sponsor. The problem is that, although it is true that the American team is now very close to the spending limit set by the financial regulation, that figure is linked exclusively to the Cost Cap useful to use during the season. The future, however, also revolves around investments to make the team competitive in the medium-long term, which in turn are also reflected in better budget efficiency: “It is necessary to invest outside the cost ceiling to get the best from the budget cap,” Steiner said.

“I wouldn't say it's very complex, but you have to think about how to operate with the budget cap money: how can you get the most to make the car faster? Usually you invest in something that serves this purpose and that has to be done I believe that a year ago many people understood this and started investing in how to be efficient by spending money on investments that allow them to be more efficient.”

An immobility that stands out compared to how the rivals have moved and which could be the divergences that led to the separation between Haas and Steiner, with the latter probably projected on a different vision regarding what was needed in the long term.