Steiner confirms he has 'no relationship' with Gene Haas after Haas F1 exit

Guenther Steiner has confirmed he shares no ongoing relationship with Haas F1 team owner Gene Haas, more than a year after his contract as team principal was not renewed at the close of the 2023 season.

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Steiner traced the deterioration back to the COVID-19 pandemic. “In the beginning, we agreed on most things. I think it started to deteriorate after 2020, after the crisis of COVID, when the team struggled to get back on their feet,” he said. “We just started talking less, but there was nothing bad in it. We had disagreements all the time, but we always found a way out of it like you do in a relationship. But after a while, there was just very little talking.”

Asked directly about his relationship with Haas, Steiner was measured but clear. “I would say not with Gene Haas. But it’s not a bad [relationship], we just have no relationship — that’s it. And I’m fine with that. We sorted our stuff out, and that’s it. I move on. He can move on. I’m pretty happy to move on without him. And he’s pretty happy without me.”

Despite the abrupt end to his tenure, Steiner stopped well short of bitterness, acknowledging the fundamental reality of the team’s ownership structure. “In the end, you need to be respectful of the guy who owns everything. He puts the money in. There’s a saying: ‘who pays decides’, and you have to agree with that one and then you cannot do anything. But I can decide for myself for my career as well.”

Steiner had led Haas from its debut season in 2016 through to the end of 2023, becoming one of the most recognisable figures in the paddock during that period. He was replaced by Ayao Komatsu, who has remained in the team principal role since.