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Former Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner believes that the Ferrari engine saga cost them a drop in performance in the 2019 season. In an exclusive interview to Autosport at the Autosport International awards, the German felt that their performance in the 2018 and 2019 seasons was affected mainly due to the Ferrari engine.
In 2019, Ferrari were suspected of manipulating the fuel flow in their car, which dodged the FIA sensors and led to better performance. A year earlier, the Maranello squad were also suspected of having a twin battery pack.
While the regulatory body had slapped Ferrari on the wrist and reached an agreement, their engine performances dropped in the second half of the 2019 season. But in the 2018 season, both Ferrari and customer teams such as Haas and Alfa Romeo benefitted significantly from the engine performance.
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Explaining the factors contributing to the fifth place finish in the championship in 2018, former Haas team principal Steiner said:
“I think we have to go back. When we started, finishing eighth in the first and second season, for a new team [that] never happened before. Finishing fifth in the third season, didn’t happen many times before. They fell back in 2019. There was a reason there as well that has to be explained – that was the Ferrari engine saga year. And people should look into that one. That was not only on Haas.
"Was it the best car Haas ever had? No. But was it [worth] ninth place? No. Alfa Romeo [Ferrari’s other engine customer] that year finished eighth. Because if you lead off with 2018 when the team finished fifth, it was pretty good. 2018-2019, how it could’ve been with a normal engine, that wouldn’t have been ninth place [in 2019].”
Explaining their story of surviving the pandemic, Steiner added:
“[When] 2020 came and the pandemic came, we… I mean, I was told to close the team down. What were you doing there: you let people go, everything was shutdown. In 2021 we came back, but I mean we made not one step backwards in 2020, we made two back.
"Then coming back in 2021, people forget that you have to restart from new – because we had to find people again, we had to find new offices, we had to find all that stuff. Because everything that we built up with Dallara [which builds Haas’s F1 chassis] was lost – because we cancelled their contract in 2020. We didn’t do anything there, because we didn’t develop the car at all.”
In 2020, Haas were in survival mode bleeding sponsors and funds, which meant that they were on the brink of closing down. Steiner was responsible for steering the ship and seeking new sponsors, as well as replacing his old drivers with rookie drivers Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher who brought funding.
However, in terms of operational setup, the team had taken a hit as they let off many of their team personnel. By 2021, they had to shift focus to the 2022 season, where a new era awaited the sport and the chassis had to be developed by the team itself. Their rivals progressed but the shoestring budgets that Haas operated on didn't make things easier.
With cost cap into effect and F1’s growth, Haas did land massive sponsors such as Moneygram but it was attributed to Steiner’s contribution and stardom from the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’. The team benefited significantly from his fame and the portrayal of their own story for survival.
According to Steiner, their highs and lows in the pre-ground effect technology regulations era largely depended on the engine provider and the engine performance. To replicate that again would be difficult in the new era of the sport where the cars are heavily dependent on sophisticated aerodynamic development and ground effect technology.
Former Haas principal believes changing team principals to improve results is not beneficial in F1
Speaking at his sole media briefing at the Autosport International awards after his dismissal, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner stated that team performance was not impacted by changing team principals. Unlike football where a managerial change can impact team results, he felt it was impossible to do the same in F1.
The German felt the new trend of changing team principals across the grid does not help and can damage a team more than help it. He felt corporates and team owners failed to understand the impact such a managerial change has on F1 teams.
Explaining the workings in F1, the former Haas team principal said:
“Take Mercedes out because Toto owns 33% - he cannot sack himself! I think it’s that if you don’t perform or if you don’t have the results, it’s the easiest way to do it. Is it the best way? I don’t know and I’m not trying to [feel] sorry for myself – I had a good run on it. But it’s the thing that seems to be the trend in the moment. Because I think some people which own the teams – corporates, individuals – they don’t really understand.”
He added:
“Formula 1, in 2024, in my opinion, looking at Bahrain this year, it’s pretty late [for a management change to have an impact]. You cannot change that anymore – what happens there, it’s done. The damage is done. You need to look what are the plans for 2026/2027. And people don’t want to hear that. Because everything is about the next result.
"As you say, it’s not like football where you change a few players and you can make a big difference. In Formula 1, you cannot do that. In Formula 1, it’s just I think the understanding is not out there. Sooner or later it will come. Because if people change and the vision of the teams don’t change, nothing will change. It’s not about the people anymore, it’s the vision, if you believe in them, and you have to wait it out.”
The Haas team finished last in the 2023 season and one of the reasons for their dismal performance was the lack of development in their car. While their rivals Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri and even Williams got their house in order by investing in infrastructure, Haas operated from their sub-par facility at Banbury. A late upgrade to their car in Austin did not help their cause either, but Steiner’s dismissal was largely attributed to the team owner’s resistance towards spending and investing heavily in the team.
As most teams on the grid prepare for the next regulation overhaul for the 2026 season and beyond, Haas' struggles will depend on surviving every season. Ayao Komatsu has replaced Guenther Steiner as team principal but the impact of the change is yet to be seen.
