Guenther Steiner calls out ‘pretty idiotic’ members of F1 media

Sam Cooper
Guenther Steiner holding a microphone

Guenther Steiner appeared as a pundit for RTL during the 2024 season.

Guenther Steiner says he is trying to avoid the behaviour of “pretty idiotic” members of F1 media as he continues in his punditry role.

The former Haas boss moved to the other side of the microphone in 2024 as a pundit for German broadcaster RTL and says he wants to avoid becoming what he always disliked.

Guenther Steiner calls out ‘‘pretty idiotic” members of F1 media

Steiner has never been afraid of a microphone and since leaving his Haas role, he has not been afraid to give his opinion on all things F1.

But being a pundit for RTL has come with the new demand of having to ask questions, not just answer them.

Given he was in the paddock for so long, PlanetF1.com asked if he found it difficult to be critical of his former colleagues but Steiner instead labelled some members of the F1 media “pretty idiotic” and suggested how his punditry was different.

“For me, I realised, you need to ask tough questions, but I think a lot is how you ask them,” Steiner said.

“You can ask a question, as long as you don’t make a statement.

“Give me your story because that is what I always expected from the press. When they asked me, don’t tell me.

“There’s some journalists which I couldn’t stand, who told me what they thought and I just had to say ‘yes or no’.

“Some of your colleagues [in the media] are pretty idiotic. I didn’t like that, so I try not to be that guy.

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“But sometimes it’s a little bit [difficult] because somebody’s a friend and you’re putting a guy on German national TV, and you ask something, they just messed up the qualifying, and ask him about the messed up qualifying. But it’s part of the job and if you ask it respectfully, why not?”

Steiner has not been adverse to making enemies within the F1 paddock, most notably Ralf Schumacher who took issue with Steiner’s treatment of nephew Mick Schumacher, but Steiner believes he is learning more with every race he attends.

“I’m around 12 races this year, which is quite a lot. I understand more about the world on the other side now, which is always good,” the 59-year-old said. “And I can still be around people I worked with for 10 years in the paddock.

“I think I can contribute something to Formula 1 with my experience.

“I could easily stop doing it, but I like to be around because we shared so much time together.”

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