Departed F1 boss Guenther Steiner slams actions of 'CHEAP' team owner

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F1 News & Gossip

Departed F1 boss slams actions of 'CHEAP' team owner

Gene Haas let his former team principal go over the phone

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Monday 14 October 2024 11:57

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F1 and Drive to Survive legend Guenther Steiner has hit out at his former boss Gene Haas, calling the American team owner 'cheap' for one specific moment in their relationship.

Steiner was let go by the team over the winter, Haas deciding not to renew his contract after a sustained series of sub-standard showings.

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The Italian-born former team principal has been talking recently about his firing, including a revelation to Sky Sports that he was in a supermarket in his home town when he got the call cutting him loose from the team.

While he has insisted that he wasn't 'upset' by the call, he has now told the Athletic that he felt the gesture – letting him go over the phone rather than in person – was 'a little bit cheap', and admitted he has no intention of talking to the American again.

Drive to Survive catapulted Steiner to F1 stardom

Steiner was replaced at Haas by Ayao Komatsu (right)

How was Guenther Steiner let go by Haas?

Steiner had told Sky Sports this month: “Honestly, I was looking at what to buy for the evening and then I got the phone call but you know now every time I go into that one [supermarket] I remember that call, but I don’t remember being upset about it.

"For me, at the time, he was like ‘I don’t want to extend your contract' and I was ‘Yeah, fine with me’. That was it, and I went by and bought some ham you know."

He has expanded on that now, telling the New York Times-owned Athletic: “Doing it like this (on the phone) is a little bit cheap if you build up a company for somebody and make him half a billion dollars.

“The last thing I want is to speak with him. I don’t need him anymore.”