Steiner-Haas Divorce Due To Equity Impasse

Gunther Steiner has revealed that his departure from the Haas Formula 1 team was due to a disagreement with team owner Gene Haas over Steiner’s request for equity in the underperforming team, which typically finds itself at the lower end of the grid.

The Formula 1 community was taken aback by the news that Steiner, who has been at the helm of the American team since its inception, was abruptly succeeded by engineer Ayao Komatsu starting with the 2024 season and onwards.

Until now, the 58-year-old has been reluctant to explain what happened between himself and billionaire Haas. He sat down for an interview a few days ago with Jack Plooij, a presenter for Ziggo Sport, but Steiner then asked him not to air certain answers.

“He then sent me a message saying ‘Jack, just say it’,” Plooij revealed.

“Gunther had found a $20 million sponsor. But he also wanted shares in the team to stay with Haas. (Gene) Haas said ‘No, we won’t do that’. So Steiner himself pulled the plug,” he divulged.

Steiner will be in Bahrain this weekend as a pundit for German broadcaster RTL.