Team owner's unwillingness to invest led to Guenther Steiner's departure from Haas: Report

Guenther Steiner's departure from the Haas F1 team has shaken up the Formula One world. Some reports are now suggesting that the lack of investment from team owner Gene Haas was the reason behind his exit.

Steiner was a popular figure in the F1 paddock owing to his star-turning presence in the Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has captured the imagination of viewers across the world. He was often spotted in the paddock surrounded by scores of fans.

Despite his off-track exploits, Guenther Steiner and Haas finished the 2023 season in last place in the constructors' championship. According to The Race, the lack of sustained investment over the years was one of the biggest reasons holding the team back in terms of results.

Steiner was reportedly vocal about this issue, even in the cost cap era. It has been suggested that Guenther Steiner and Gene Haas may have disagreed over the team’s potential in its current form and the issue of steady investment.

Haas F1 team boss appoints Ayao Kamatsu as Guenther Steiner's successor

Haas F1 team boss Gene Haas confirmed Guenther Steiner's departure from the team in the press release and named Ayao Kamatsu as his replacement.

In a statement, Kamatsu stated that he was looking forward to leading the American team. He said (via F1.com):

“I’m naturally very excited to have the opportunity to be team principal at Haas. Having been with the team since its track debut back in 2016, I’m obviously passionately invested in its success in Formula 1. I’m looking forward to leading our program and the various competitive operations internally to ensure we can build a structure that produces improved on-track performances."

He continued:

“We are a results-based business at the end of the day, and we obviously haven’t been competitive enough recently which has been a source of frustration.

"We have amazing support from Gene and our various partners – particularly MoneyGram, and we want to mirror their enthusiasm with an improved on-track product. We have a great team of people across Kannapolis, Banbury and Maranello and together, I know we can reach the kind of performances we’re capable of.”

It will be interesting to see if the American team improves under the new leadership in the upcoming season and scores more points than in their 2023 campaign.