Departed F1 star fires stinging FAILURE claim at former boss

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has fired back at his former boss Gene Haas for failing to adapt the team’s model in line with the new regulations.

Steiner held his position as team boss ever since the outfit's inception into the sport in 2016, working alongside new Haas principal Ayao Komatsu.

The 58-year-old became almost the face of the team for his personality – which came across incredibly strongly in Netflix’s documentary series Drive to Survive – as well as his exciting plan for the team, which helped them comfortably continue to operate in the midfield.

READ MORE: Iconic F1 star launches bid to replace Hamilton

But after finishing last in the constructors’ championship in 2023 with just 12 points, Haas made the decision not to renew Steiner’s contract and he was replaced by Komatsu.

Steiner fires back at Gene Haas failure

Speaking with Auto Motorsport, Steiner hit back at his former boss Gene Haas, as he believed that the team’s failure was down to his unwillingness to change the model of preserving their budget under the new cost cap.

While teams around them changed their infrastructure, Haas did not, and this ultimately left them operating below the budget cap and created a conflict of interest between Steiner and the team’s hierarchy.

"I wanted to invest in the team, he didn't,” said the Italian.

“We simply had different views on how things should proceed.

"The way the team was set up, you couldn't ask for much more. This is not a criticism of the team, but the reality. The budget cap has completely changed Formula 1. Old structures no longer work.

“McLaren, Williams, Alpha Tauri have been investing for two years in the infrastructure so that they have more budget for the operational business. If you don't follow suit, you can't expect to be able to keep up."

READ MORE: Former team-mate surprised by Hamilton's decision not to RETIRE

Related

F1 News & Gossip

Schumacher urges F1 star to make way for Bearman in 2025

• April 10, 2024 11:57

Latest F1 News

F1 team announce SIGNIFICANT change of direction

• March 31, 2024 18:58