Haas F1 team has announced the departure of team principal Guenther Steiner following a disappointing 2023 season. Steiner's contract was not renewed by team owner Gene Haas, and former technical director Simone Resta has also left the team. The decision comes after tensions and differences in opinion about the team's technical direction.
The shock news was announced by the US-owned outfit on Wednesday in the wake of a poor 2023 season that saw it finish 10th and last in the constructors’ World Championship. Steiner's contract was up for renewal at the end of the year, and team owner Gene Haas opted not to extend it. As previously reported, former technical director Simone Resta has also left the team in a decision that predates Steiner's departure.
Steiner, who formulated the plan for an F1 team using Ferrari technology and then sourced the funding from machine tools manufacturer Haas with which to start it, appears to have paid the price for last year’s poor performance. It’s been no secret that at times there has been tension between Steiner and Haas, and there were differences in opinion in the camp about the technical direction to take, with the split of old and new aero packages seen in the last two races of 2023 an obvious public sign of the diverging view
Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner Departure Disappointing Season Contract Renewal Technical Director Simone Resta Tensions Differences In Opinion Technical Direction