Guenther Steiner

Steiner SNUBS Mercedes and Ferrari amid Haas WIN promise

Guenther Steiner has had his say on a possible move to the likes of Mercedes or Ferrari

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Monday 12 June 2023 09:57

Guenther Steiner has insisted that he does not want to become team principal at a team such as Mercedes or Ferrari, but rather oversee a transformation that allows Haas to return to winning ways.

Often laughing or joking in the paddock, Steiner has become somewhat of a cult hero among Formula 1 fans.

Having been in charge of Haas since its inception in 2016, Steiner is still going in search of his first podium or race win as team principal.

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You might therefore wonder if the 58-year-old is considering a change to try and take charge of a team with a greater chance of success.

But for Steiner, when asked if he would consider jumping ship to Ferrari or Mercedes, the answer was clear.

"No! What I would love to do is make Haas win," he told the Mirror. "That is the desire I have, which is bigger than going into a team that is winning and just being an administrator of it.

"I am a Haas man – I don't know for life, but for the foreseeable."

Steiner: 'The passion is there'

“You'd rather not have an F1 team because it's a liability as well!" he jokingly added. "If it goes wrong, I don't have the means to keep it alive. I'm very conscious about that.

"The passion comes from the idea I had to make the team. I didn't have the money and still don't, but I found Mr Haas who had the passion and had the money to do it. And he let us do it.

Nico Hulkenberg (L) and Kevin Magnussen (R) make up Haas' driver line-up for the 2023 season

"If you found something, I think you're more attached to it than when you’re called in to be the administrator for a period of time. It's a difference – even if the team isn't mine, it's still my brainchild.

"Without Mr Haas we couldn't do it, but we can do it and therefore I've got this passion to bring the team to a place where, one day, it can be without me."