Günther Steiner can imagine a return to an active role in motorsport – but is he aiming for a role as team principal in Formula 1?
Günther Steiner was sacked as team principal in Formula 1 at Haas after the 2023 season. Since then, the South Tyrolean has been working as a TV pundit for RTL. But can the 58-year-old imagine a return to the premier class paddock? He would like to take on a new role in motorsport, but he does not yet know whether Formula 1 and working as a team principal is his goal.
“I wish I knew,” is Steiner’s answer to the question of whether he would push for a return to Formula 1 as team principal. “I have to be honest: I don’t know. I really enjoyed doing it, but not because I had to. That sounds arrogant, but I don’t want to be arrogant. I like new challenges and new tasks to help motorsport.”
Steiner has been involved in motorsport since 1986 and enjoys being active in this field. “I like trying out different roles,” says the engineer. “I was allowed to play these roles, and I enjoyed the ones I was allowed to play in those moments. Would I like to be on the other side again? I don’t know. “
It has to be the right project
Steiner is open to all possibilities, but makes it clear that it has to be “the right project” for him to choose a team again. He doesn’t care about the position: “I prefer that to just being team principal, where I have no real influence on the future.”
Fighting for a few points again in Formula 1 is not what Steiner has in mind for the future. He says: “If you can only fight for fifth or sixth place, but can build something in the medium or long term, then you can get better. I am a fighter, I can fight.” That would be a project for Steiner, he doesn’t see any other options.
“But if I’m cut down with sentences like ‘That’s all we want to achieve’, then I’m not happy,” said the former Haas team boss. “I don’t want to have a job that says: ‘I can’t do any better anyway’. At the moment, there are only a handful of teams that can. “
Steiner wants to implement a vision
But there are also teams that can get into that position that will develop into a better team over time if the “vision is good enough” and the team knows what to do. “It takes time, but you need someone to support you with your vision,” he says. “If I was given the chance again, I would do it again.”
However, Steiner is not interested in a season goal as team boss of simply finishing “sixth or seventh”. “That makes no sense,” he says. “I’ve done that before.” But has his time at Haas changed Steiner’s view of the development of Formula 1 in the long term?
“Yes, it’s definitely different,” he explains. “It’s good for me because it broadens my perspective. When you manage a team, you have tunnel vision. You only think about what you need to do to get better. You don’t look outwards, what can I do now? “
Looking from the outside helps
Steiner has learned a lot and can now take a critical look at his time at Haas from the outside. “I’ve learned a lot, but what do I do with it? I haven’t processed it all yet because it wasn’t that long ago. It feels like I’ve been away for a long time, but it’s only been two months. I’m enjoying it because I now have a different perspective. That helps me and can also be useful in sport. For example at the Grand Prix in Miami, where I can tell people what’s happening and give my opinion.”
Steiner has already gained a lot of experience outside of Formula 1 in his career. He was responsible for the NASCAR project at Red Bull and was active in rallying at Jaguar and Ford. He also worked at Opel’s performance center. He started as a mechanic in the Mazda rally team and worked his way up in the sport
