Helmut Marko Exposes Guenther Steiner’s Greed From Netflix Popularity That Caused a Rift With Gene Haas

The departure of Guenther Steiner from the Haas F1 team was a collective shock for those who were unaware of what was going on behind the scenes. After all, the idea of having an American racing team in Formula 1 was the Italian’s idea to begin with. Gene Haas was just an investor for the team for the most part, despite being the team owner. It was Steiner who became the face of Haas, both on and off the track, all thanks to Drive To Survive. The F1 documentary series on Netflix helped Steiner rise into the ranks of Formula 1 stardom. However, according to Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, Steiner became a victim of his own popularity.

For those in the know, the split between Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner was not a question of if, but when. The team has been underperforming for a few years now and Guenther had been pushing the idea of getting more resources for the team for its growth. On the other hand, Gene Haas believed that the team had enough resources to do a better job. In short, the team has been underperforming according to the owner. But now, a new behind-the-scenes story is emerging. One that involves Steiner’s greed getting the better of him.

Helmut Marko says Guenther Steiner’s greed became too much for Gene Haas

With the technical director of engineering, Ayao Komatsu, taking over as the team principal for 2024 and beyond, the team will be focused on optimizing its resources and the internal management structure, as evident from the team’s official statement. However, Helmut Marko has suggested that it wasn’t the team’s performance or the supposed clash over resources that cost Steiner his job.

According to Marko, Guenther Steiner wanted to convert his gain in popularity through Drive To Survive into shares of the team. But that did not sit well with the team owner Gene Haas and hence Steiner’s contract was not renewed for 2024. “Let’s put it this way: Anyone who becomes too popular through a documentary like Netflix tends to take off. But if you fly too high too quickly, you will fall more quickly,” F1 Insider quoted Marko.

“All I heard was that he wanted to convert his popularity into shares in the team. And owner Gene Haas didn’t like that anymore. It is also the case in our sport that the team always comes before the individual. Steiner became a victim of his popularity,” he added.

For now, Steiner’s future in F1 remains uncertain. However, he did talk about not wanting to return to the sport in a hurry, even if the opportunity presented itself. He expressed his desire to spend some time with his family, while occasionally visiting the paddock for a few races here and there.

READ MORE: F1 News: Guenther Steiner Indirectly Defends Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ Amid Abrupt Exit From Haas

But it wasn’t just Helmut Marko who spoke negatively about the Italian. A few other F1 personalities also fired shots at Steiner for the failures of the team.

Guenther Steiner faces criticism from Formula 1 insiders

In a sport where the team should always be given more importance than any individual, former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has criticized the influence of the Netflix show in popularizing an unsuccessful team principal.

“There has never been a more unsuccessful team boss in Formula 1 who still became a superstar thanks to a US documentary. In my time, when only performance mattered, this didn’t exist,” said Bernie.

Ex-Formula 1 winner Ralf Schumacher has often questioned the role of Guenther Steiner at Haas. According to Ralf, the decline of the team is the responsibility of the man who sits at the top. And for that reason, he saw the removal of Steiner as a logical step in the right direction. Regarding Steiner’s role, he surmised, “The fish always stinks at the head.”

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Do you think other teams would be interested in securing the services of Guenther Steiner amid the 2024 season? Share your insights down below in the comments.