F1 pundit warns team boss of pressure from sponsor

Sky F1 pundit David Croft has said that Haas team principal Guenther Steiner may start to feel pressure from the team’s title sponsor.

It has been a difficult few years in F1 for the American team, which has seen them languish at the back of the grid with points finishes proving to be scarce.

The team finished bottom of the constructors’ championship in 2023 with just 12 points between drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

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Haas title sponsor brings pressure

Haas has previously struggled with title sponsorship, which have included controversial partnerships with Rich Energy in 2019 and most recently UralKali in 2021, a Russian potash fertilizer producer which then-driver Nikita Mazepin’s father Dmitry is a key shareholder.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the team cut ties with the company and Mazepin, leaving them without a title sponsor until this season with their agreed a new long-term deal with MoneyGram.

While this will generate a decent cash flow, Croft believes that they could put pressure on Steiner if results do not improve.

Speaking on the Sky F1 podcast, he said: “The key for me with Haas is that they’ve also now got a long-term partnership with a title sponsor.

“There’s money coming into that team now that isn’t Gene Haas or Nikita Mazepin linked and that title sponsor deal should allow them the freedom to pursue more upgrades, to actually have a bit more of a technical budget.

“But also with it comes pressure, because I’m sure that sponsor will want to see a bit more success on the track and at the moment things are very harmonious and it’s all good on both sides.

“But Guenther will find himself under pressure the more they attract big sponsorship deals and I think they will do. I really do. They’re a really marketable asset, they are the underdog fighting against the big dogs, Haas and Guenther is very good at laying down that narrative as well.

“But with that comes pressure and I think next year’s a really interesting year for Haas because they can’t afford to and shouldn’t be struggling at the foot of the table.”

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