Guenther Steiner issues clear stance on future approach from Mercedes or Ferrari

Guenther Steiner has ruled himself out of the running for Ferrari’s top job when it becomes available next…

Having just celebrated his 150th race in charge of a Formula 1 team since the entry of Haas into the sport back in 2016, Guenther Steiner has no interest in moving elsewhere.

While the end of 2022 saw an unusual team principal silly season as McLaren, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Williams all had changes of top management, as well as Franz Tost announcing his pending retirement from AlphaTauri, Steiner had no desire to throw himself in the ring to try taking up a new role with a different team.

Despite Steiner’s long-running relationship with Ferrari, of whom Haas have been an engine and parts customer since their entry, he has no interest in eventually leading the Scuderia if and when the position becomes available – Steiner has worked alongside three different Ferrari team bosses, in Maurizio Arrivabene between 2016 and ’18, Mattia Binotto between ’19 and ’22, and incumbent Fred Vasseur.

“No!” he replied succinctly whenasked about the possibility by the UK’s Mirror Sport.

While Gene Haas is the outright owner of the American squad, it’s Guenther Steiner who has become the public image of the plucky underdog – one of the last true independent racing teams in F1.

It’s their status as an independent, small outfit that has fired up Steiner’s passion and desire to help lead them ever closer to the front of the sport.

“What I would love to do is make Haas win!” he said.

“That is the desire I have, which is bigger than going into a team that is winning and just being an administrator of it. I am a Haas man – I don’t know for life, but for the foreseeable.”

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Steiner also joked that he’s glad he’s not the financial backing behind the team: “You’d rather not have an F1 team because it’s a liability as well! If it goes wrong, I don’t have the means to keep it alive. I’m very conscious about that.

“The passion comes from the idea I had to make the team. I didn’t have the money and still don’t, but I found Mr Haas who had the passion and had the money to do it. And he let us do it.

“If you found something, I think you’re more attached to it than when you’re called in to be the administrator for a period of time. It’s a difference – even if the team isn’t mine, it’s still my brainchild.

“Without Mr. Haas, we couldn’t do it, but we can do it and therefore I’ve got this passion to bring the team to a place where, one day, it can be without me.”

但直言球队老板排除that moment may come any time soon: “We’re not there yet! If you put someone else in it will continue, it will not stop without me – but I’ve still got things which I want to do.”