Revealed: The key change which could have saved Guenther Steiner’s Haas career

Guenther Steiner has revealed the one change he would have made in 2023 that may have saved him from losing his Haas job.

Steiner was fired after 10 years of service last week with Haas opting to promote trackside engineering director Ayao Komatsu to the role.

But, looking back on where it went wrong, Steiner suggested the one element he would change were he to have his time again.

Guenther Steiner regrets late Haas 2023 upgrades

The 2023 Haas car was not one that changed much over the course of the year with the team waiting until race 18 in Austin for the first real upgrade package.

While that saves costs, it means you are left behind by your rivals and it has been reported that Steiner was the one behind the delay.

According to Autosport, the Italian-American delayed changes to the sidepod, engine cover and floor changes before green lighting them late in the campaign.

But looking back now, Steiner admitted it was too late and suggested he would change that decision if given his time again.

“Absolutely, it was a little bit late,” he told Autosport.

“I would say, if I could go back, that’s what we should have done [made the car changes earlier]. Obviously now with hindsight, it’s obvious. I mean, it was change, but then it was not enough time anymore to do it good.

“When it was discovered that there was no performance in the old concept anymore. Ferrari, they changed quicker, and we tried to hang on maybe a little bit too long to the old concept.”

It was this lack of development that ultimately cost Steiner his job with owner Gene Haas confused as to why they finished last in the Constructors’.

PlanetF1.com recommends

F1 2024 calendar: Car launch dates, pre-season testing, TV schedule

F1 2024 cars: What name has each team given their chassis for the 2024 season?

“There is a perception we spend a lot less money; we’re usually within $10m of the budget limit,” Gene Haas told F1.com.

“I just think we don’t do a very good job of spending that money. A lot of teams have had previous investments in their infrastructure, buildings, equipment and personnel. Our model was to outsource a lot of that. We spend a lot of money.

“We haven’t exceeded the cap but we’re pretty darn close to it. I just don’t think we’re doing a very good job of spending it in the most effective way.”

“That’s one of the reasons we have survived – because we are so conscious of how we spend money,” he said of the larger Haas company.

“Being efficient at what we do is going to make sure we survive in this series. We’re one of the longest surviving teams, everyone else [other new teams] have had the tendency to spend all their money in the first few years and then they go out of business.

“We survived for eight years, and we’re not in a situation where we are going to go out of business. But I certainly want to be able to survive for the next 10 years.”

Read next: F1 Sprint changes? Three main factors under discussion as final submission looms