Haas F1 Drivers Won't Smash Guenther Steiner's Door in 2024

With that said, Guenther Steiner and Haas F1 have parted ways. If you allow me to rephrase that, Haas drivers won't smash Guenther Steiner's door in 2024. You might remember that the former team principal was pissed when Kevin Magnussen did that to him a few years ago.

But I'll get to that in a minute, so bear with me. Today's story started almost 6,000 years ago, as it was around that time that we believe humans first used wheeled vehicles. I'm just kidding with you; I won't go that far back in time here.

But I will say this: Before Gene Haas came along with the idea and the budget, the last time the world saw an American F1 team was when Ronald Reagan was still President of the United States. Sure, Mr. Haas couldn't have accomplished the feat alone and set out to build the strongest team he could. That's how Guenther Steiner entered the story initially, and this man has an impressive record.

In the '80s, he was a mechanic for Mazda Rally Team Europe in the WRC. Ten years later, Guenther Steiner led a team of people around a Polish motorsports legend to win the European Rally Championship. He then went on to work with the likes of Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, and they could almost smell the World Titles.

The 58-year-old from Italy rubbed shoulders with people like Niki Lauda and Eddie Irvine and even worked with Christian Horner in the early days of Red Bull's F1 involvement. He then moved on to NASCAR, taking on a role with the company mentioned.

Steiner has been with Haas F1 since day one, as he took on the role of Team Principal in April of 2014, almost two years before the team's debut race. Under his management, Romain Grosjean scored enough points to finish P13 in the championship. Haas F1 was P8 in the Constructors' Standings, with more points than Renault and Sauber-Ferrari.

Gutierrez failed to score any points that season, so the team replaced him with Kevin Magnussen. Haas F1 scored more points in 2017 but ended up in the same position, so it didn't feel like an improvement to the team owner. But there was hope on the horizon.

Grosjean and Magnussen finished P4 and P5 at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix, and they scored enough points that season to have Haas F1 finish in the overall rankings P5. It would all be a downhill race from there on next, though. 2019 was tough on the American team, but it was only about to worsen.

As Netflix started streaming "Drive to Survive," the world got a peak of what goes on behind closed doors. Guenther Steiner appeared to be a man who spoke his mind, and he quickly rose to fame for his outgoing personality. Some say that the Netflix show is more soap opera than real life, and some drivers have supported that affirmation.

But it has certainly brought back fans to the sport and attracted others with no previous interest. So when Guenther closed the doors and started getting serious with his two drivers, that was a tense moment for everyone.

K. Mag. slammed the door on his way out, and Steiner wouldn't have it. Long story short, that segment became viral, and the Haas F1 Team principal would get more and more attention from the cameras since. That has also revealed some of the tensions between him and Gene Haas.

With that budget being spent every year, you can imagine that the team owner wanted to see results. I can also relate to how Steiner must've felt calling Gene after each race, as I've been in a similar spot. But they worked together on finding solutions, which at first meant changing drivers.

The Mazepin connection turned out badly for the team, but there was still some hope with Mick Schumacher. That was another episode gone wrong, and the people who grew up idolizing Mick's dad resented Steiner and Haas for their decision to drop the aspiring F1 star from the roster. Bringing Magnussen back felt strange but understandable.

Hulkenberg ultimately scored fewer points than Schumacher, and there's also the negative attention surrounding the topic. Put yourself in Gene Haas' shoes: what should you change next? Guenther Steiner may have dedicated his heart and soul to the project, but perhaps it was time for him to move on.

He still needed a few more years to match Jean Todt's tenure at Ferarri. But I think Steiner's in a good place anyway. Riding the wave of popularity, he published a book last year, and he has probably made enough money in F1 to last him a lifetime. A man with his background will surely be able to find a well-paid job back in WRC, NASCAR, or WEC.

Will he return to F1? I don't think that will happen in 2024, but it might happen in 2026. If Andretti Racing manages to secure a spot in the championship, Steiner could take on a new role there.

The question is, what's about to happen with Haas F1? 47-year-old Ayao Komatsu is the new Team Principal, but we can't know for sure whether he can manage the responsibilities of the role or not. Gene Haas might hire a consultant or agency for specific tasks or sell the team. Wouldn't you get tired of spending hundreds of millions to no avail?

On the other hand, even Red Bull Racing needed a few years in the sport before they could win the championship. With F1's presence in the US increasing to new heights over the past few years, it would be strange not to have an American team in the sport any longer. The question is, what does it take to build one that can dominate the sport?