Guenther Steiner ‘not interested’ in Haas future as brutal departure details emerge

Guenther Steiner has spoken publicly for the first time since he lost his role as team principal of the Haas F1 team.

Steiner unceremoniously departed Haas this week after 10 years at the team with former trackside engineering director Ayao Komatsu promoted as his replacement.

The Italian-American was followed out of the exit door by technical director Simone Resta, who had been with the team since 2021, leaving Haas with major changes just weeks before the 2024 car is due to be unveiled.

Guenther Steiner reveals details of Haas departure

Steiner’s first appearance came just a few days after news of his departure was made public with the former Haas boss appearing at the Autosport International show in Birmingham.

The 58-year-old confirmed he received a phone call from owner Gene Haas between Christmas and the new year in which he was informed his deal would not be extended past the 2023 season.

The former Haas boss also expressed regret at not being able to say goodbye to the staff that up until recently had reported to him, as well as the fans who supported the team during his tenure.

But there was little love lost between Steiner and owner Gene Haas with the former saying he is now no longer “interested” in the future of the team.

“Since we have had this model, Formula 1 has changed a lot,” he said. “We saw during COVID how much bigger it grew. How much different it got with the budget cap, how we used the budget cap.

“If you look at all the other teams, they were all gearing up. They are not gearing up now. They started to gear up, some three years ago, some years ago, some last year.

“I don’t know Gene Haas’s plans for the future. He didn’t share them with me. He doesn’t have to, by the way.

“I’m actually not really interested in it anymore.”

PlanetF1.com recommends

F1 team principals: How long has each team boss been in charge?

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

As for his own plans for the future, Steiner said he would spend some time with the family but was insistent he has more to offer in F1.

“I don’t know if Formula 1 wants me!” he joked. “Now at the moment, I’m very chilled out about the situation.

“I’m not unhappy and I know a lot of people, I’ve got a lot of friends and for me just hanging around for a year doing the odd  job, that does it for me.

“If something interesting comes along which challenges me, yes, but just staying in Formula 1 just to do a job, maybe is not what I want to do.

“I like to be with people but it needs to be something where I can see a future in it. I don’t just want to go there and then move on to the next thing. I want to do something where you can achieve something and you try to get somewhere and then I will do it.

“But as I said, at the moment, I just want to chill out. It was 10 tough years behind me. I’m still good. I’ve got plenty of stuff to do.”

Read next: Deafening silence over Andretti, a scrutineering issue and more FOM-FIA questions