Günther Steiner: Possibile ritorno come team principal in Formula 1?

(Motorsport-Total.com) – Günther Steiner was fired as team principal at Haas in Formula 1 after the 2023 season. Since then, the South Tyrolean has been working as a TV expert for RTL. However, can the 58-year-old imagine a return to the Formula 1 paddock? He would like to take on a new role in motorsport, but he is not sure if Formula 1 and being a team principal are the goals he is aiming for.

“If only I knew,” Steiner replies when asked if he would push for a return to Formula 1 as a team principal. “I have to be honest: I don’t know. I really enjoyed 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 active in motorsport since 1986 and enjoys working in this field. “I like trying out different roles,” says the engineer. “I have had the opportunity to play these roles, and I have enjoyed the moments in which I played them. Whether I want to be on the other side again? I don’t know.”

It must be the right project

Steiner is open to all possibilities but makes it clear that it must be “the right project” for him to choose to join a team again. The position is not important to him: “I prefer that over just being a team principal where I have no real influence on the future.”

Fighting for a few points in Formula 1 again is not what Steiner envisions for the future. He says, “If you can only fight for fifth or sixth place, but can build something for the medium or long term, then you can improve. I am a fighter, I can fight.” That would be a project for Steiner, he does not see other possibilities.

“But if I am limited with sentences like ‘This is all we want to achieve,’ then I am not happy,” says the former Haas team principal. “I don’t want a job where it says: ‘I can’t do it 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 reach this position, that can evolve 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 who supports you with your vision,” he says. “If I had the chance again, I would do it again.”

However, a season goal as team principal, simply to “be sixth or seventh,” does not interest Steiner. “That is not meaningful,” he says. “I have already done that before.” But has his time at Haas fundamentally changed Steiners view on the development of Formula 1?

“Yes, it is definitely different,” he explains. “That is good for me because it broadens the perspective. When you lead a team, you have tunnel vision. You only think about what you need to do to get better. You do not look outside, what can I do now?”

Outside perspective helps

Steiner has learned a lot and can now critically assess his time at Haas from the outside. “I have learned a lot, but what do I do with it? I have not processed it all yet because it was not long ago. It feels like I have been away for a long time, but it has only been two months. I enjoy it because I have a different perspective now. That helps me and can also be useful in sports. For example, at the Grand Prix in Miami, where I can tell people what is happening and give my opinion.”

In his career, Steiner has gathered many experiences outside of Formula 1. He was responsible for the NASCAR project at Red Bull, active in rallying with Jaguar and Ford, and worked at Opel’s performance center. He started as a mechanic in the Mazda rally team and worked his way up in the sport.