Axed F1 boss Guenther Steiner delivers DAMNING verdict on race winner

Ayao Komatsu and Guenther Steiner sat on the Haas pitwall — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Axed F1 boss delivers DAMNING verdict on race winner

A brutally honest verdict from the drive to survive legend

Rhys Thomas

Saturday 13 July 2024 20:57 Updated: 21:03

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Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has delivered a harsh verdict on a current Formula 1 driver.

The Italian-American shot to mainstream fame through Netflix's Drive to Survive series, in which he unexpectedly became a key protagonist for his quotable expletives and temperament.

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Haas opted to replace the 59-year-old with Ayao Komatsu ahead of the 2024 season, with Steiner now working for German broadcaster RTL.

The American team's decision seems to have paid off, with Haas amassing 27 points so far this season, having only managed 12 across 2023.

Guenther Steiner was formerly team principal at Haas and now enjoys TV stardom

Ayao Komatsu took over as Haas team principal at the start of 2024

Steiner claims race winner 'has shown nothing'

Steiner became known for his blunt honesty in the F1 paddock, a trait he has confidently carried into his punditry career.

As the 2025 driver line-ups continue to be announced, Steiner took aim at Valtteri Bottas, who is yet to confirm whether he will remain in the sport upon the expiry of his Stake F1 Team contract.

"I think he will have difficulty to find a good seat again," Steiner said on the Red Flags Podcast.

"Mercedes knows him very well, and they maybe know something we don’t know, and they know how to get him going again."

Bottas, who drove for Mercedes between 2017 and 2021, recently shared he has spoken extensively with team principal Toto Wolff, although discussions did not focus on him replacing former team-mate Lewis Hamilton in 2025.

Valtteri Bottas is still on the hunt for a seat in 2025

The Finn explained he did not want to fill a seat for a single year, seeking more security on the grid, perhaps away from his current team, where he has not yet scored points this campaign.

Discussing Bottas' recent career, Steiner continued: "With that car [in] the last years, he has shown nothing. Maybe it’s not completely his fault. Can you imagine for a driver who won races every year on a consistent basis, going to fight for P17 for two or three years?

"That takes you down, in my opinion. At some stage, you think, ‘why do I actually do this’, you know?"

Bottas appears keen to remain in F1 and only time will tell whether the driver market will be kinder to him than Steiner has been.

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