After Ralf Schumacher, Timo Glock is the next Sky pundit to criticize the recent side blows from ex-Haas team boss Günther Steiner
After Ralf Schumacher, another Sky pundit, Timo Glock, has now sharply criticized former Formula 1 team boss Günther Steiner: “I agree with Ralf,” says Glock. “Günther Steiner, what can you say? It’s always difficult to understand his communication a little bit. “
The reason for the renewed wave of criticism was an interview that Steiner gave on The Red Flag podcast after the Monaco Grand Prix. The former team principal of Mick Schumacher at Haas was asked in the podcast whether he would recommend Alpine to think about Mick after the separation from Esteban Ocon.
Steiner, who knows Mick well from the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Haas, replied: “Not at the moment, no. You have to get the best drivers that are available. And there are drivers who show that they are very good.” Mick is obviously not one of them for the former team boss who was fired by Haas.
A criticism that Steiner could have kept to himself, in Glock’s opinion: “You shouldn’t go on and on about it. What’s the point behind it? He should put his own house in order. If you look at Günther Steiner’s record as team principal, you can question it, you have to question it. Because at the moment, Team Haas is doing a very, very good job without him.”
Glock also found an Instagram story that Steiner posted after qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix inappropriate. There, both Haas drivers were subsequently disqualified because their DRS had opened up too far. An infringement of the rules due to a measurement error that had occurred to the engineers because of an internal communication problem.
Steiner, never at a loss for a quick joke, then posted a cartoon on Instagram with a tape measure and captioned it with the tongue-in-cheek words: “Would anyone like to borrow my tape measure?” An obvious dig at his former team Haas, which had already admitted to an internal mistake.
And one that Glock obviously felt was unnecessary: “These are all things, what’s the point? I think you should act a bit more cleverly from your side. But that is, yes, typical Günther Steiner. As I said: put your own house in order,” emphasized Glock in an interview with Sky on the sidelines of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Some love him, others hate him – but one thing is certain: Günther Steiner leaves nobody cold. His recent comments about Mick Schumacher have now even led to a new climax in his dispute with Ralf Schumacher, who has told RTL, where he and Steiner are employed as experts, that he no longer wants to be in front of the camera with Steiner.
In the end, it all came down to Mick Schumacher. When he drove for Haas in his rookie season in 2021 and then again in 2022, Steiner did not give him the support and warmth that Ralf Schumacher would have liked for his nephew. After some back and forth, the situation escalated to the extent that Steiner no longer wanted to give interviews to Sky.
A grandly staged reconciliation then took place at the 2024 season opener, but it didn’t last long. And now Glock is also joining the side that can no longer laugh at Steiner’s comments. Also because the former Formula 1 driver believes that Mick Schumacher actually has “very good chances” of driving in Formula 1 at Alpine in 2025.
“Of course, there are several drivers queuing up and trying to position themselves. But I think Mick has shown that he has the Formula 1 experience, that he is fast. And with the right environment, I think he would be the right man for the cockpit,” says Glock.
