Tag: Guenther Steiner

Steiner unsure Haas will need works PU deal in 2026

Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe Haas will necessarily need a works power unit deal in future to be competitive in Formula 1. Aston Martin’s recent announcement that it will be the Honda works team from 2026 onwards makes it six teams that will have …

Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe Haas will necessarily need a works power unit deal in future to be competitive in Formula 1.

Aston Martin’s recent announcement that it will be the Honda works team from 2026 onwards makes it six teams that will have such partnerships when the new power unit regulations come into effect. While Haas will then be one of just four teams to be a customer, Steiner says it doesn’t guarantee it will need to find itself a similar agreement to be able to compete with the majority of its rivals.

“I wouldn’t say we need to,” Steiner said. “You need to look into where do you want to be in five to 10 years. I think at the moment we are all overthinking what is coming in ’26, I think there will be solutions to it because not everybody can have a works team — for ’26 for sure there are only six engine manufacturers so four teams will need to take a customer engine. We will be one of them for ’26, but looking forward you also need to see where Formula 1 is going.

“I don’t want to sound negative but manufacturers come and go, teams stay. So we need to think of that as well. I don’t want to say, ‘We need to be a manufacturer in five years.’ It could also be that maybe we are happy not to be a manufacturer in five years, that is out there as well. So let’s see what time brings but for the moment we are ready for ’26 — we will go with a customer engine and we will make the best out of it.”

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Ahead of Haas’ 150th grand prix this weekend in Monaco, Steiner says Aston Martin’s form so far this season shows a team can have a customer relationship and still beat the works team.

“I just give you one example: Aston Martin, what engine are they running? Mercedes. Where is Aston Martin? In front of Mercedes at the moment. So why are you all thinking that will change in future? We always have to live in the reality as well. There’s a good chance a customer team can do better than a works team like is happening right now and we have the proof of it — it’s not something I’ve dreamt up.

Aston Martin might be ending its PU customer status for the next rules cycle, but its current form shows you can still thrive in F1 without a works deal, Steiner says. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

“And also in 2026 there are six engine manufacturers — how do you know that all will do the same good job? There could be two or three that do a worse job and if you are with the right manufacturer you are in front of the other ones. So there are pros as well to being a customer. If you go out there and make your own engine and the engine is not good, what have you achieved then?

“So I think only the future will tell. We can dream up a lot of scenarios that could or should happen, but the fact is that at the moment a customer team is beating a works team — and not a bad works team, by the way!”

Hulkenberg showing exactly why he was signed – Steiner

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the opening three races of the 2023 season have effectively demonstrated why he wanted to sign Nico Hulkenberg. Mick Schumacher was replaced after two years with Haas in favor of the vastly experienced …

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the opening three races of the 2023 season have effectively demonstrated why he wanted to sign Nico Hulkenberg.

Mick Schumacher was replaced after two years with Haas in favor of the vastly experienced Hulkenberg, the latter having not raced full-time in Formula 1 since 2019. Despite that, he’s hit the ground running by outqualifying teammate Kevin Magnussen at each race so far — reaching Q3 on two occasions — and picking up his first points with seventh place in Melbourne.

“That was the whole thing — how can we bring the team forward?” Steiner told RACER. “And Kevin is part of the team. I think it’s a motivation — not only for him (competitively), it’s also he can see that if he cannot find his setup he has got a very experienced teammate to lean on. And that’s what he’s doing.

“He was strong (in Melbourne), maybe not as strong as in Jeddah but he said it himself that in qualifying he made a mistake at Turn 6 on his Q2 lap and it didn’t work out. But he knew where it went wrong and the speed is there from the car and the drivers. If we continue like this there will be a race coming that both of them are getting into the points.

“It’s a very good feeling when you’re sitting there and you know that you can attack, you don’t only have to defend. You know you can attack and go out there to get something; it’s not like hoping that something goes wrong for somebody else — you know that you can do it with your own means.”

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With how regularly Haas is fighting for a top-10 result, Steiner believes the start of the season has shown the team to be close to the front of the chasing group behind Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari.

“We have to reiterate that we didn’t get lucky in a situation, like for example one of the McLarens got — (Oscar Piastri) finished eighth and had a little bit more luck than we had. But we showed in all the races now that we twice went into Q3 pretty dominantly, without luck. Everybody thinks we have to have luck but I think we’ve got the sixth-best car out there, at least. We make the point that we scored points in two of the three races and twice got through to Q3.

“I’m impressed by Nico, how quickly he adapted to the car and to the team, and always tries to get the best out of it. It’s not always possible because there is no midfield anymore, there is the four leaders and then the rest of the pack — there is nobody weak there anymore. We are fighting in there and at the moment we are fighting at the front end of that pack.”

Steiner predicting chaos with “much cooler” new Sprint format in Baku

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the new Sprint format is “much cooler” than the previous schedule but could lead to chaos in Baku. Formula 1 teams have all agreed to change the format so that Friday’s qualifying session now sets the grid …

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says the new Sprint format is “much cooler” than the previous schedule but could lead to chaos in Baku.

Formula 1 teams have all agreed to change the format so that Friday’s qualifying session now sets the grid for Sunday’s grand prix and FP2 is replaced by a separate qualifying just for the Sprint on the Saturday. The changes still need to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council and go through an F1 Commission vote in the week before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but Steiner is pleased with the update.

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“Absolutely, I brought it up last year for the first time,” Steiner told RACER. “I said Saturday morning is just like watching grass grow basically because you are out there and you cannot do anything on the car, you just go round. Yeah, you learn something about tires, but is it worthwhile to do it? No. It will be much cooler like this.”

Given some of the drama that has occurred on the high-speed street circuit in the past, Steiner admits Azerbaijan’s first Sprint event could prove chaotic, with the changes intended to allow drivers to race more freely without concern about the impact on Sunday’s grand prix.

“It could be, but that makes it interesting. Hopefully there is no chaos, but it could be. Baku is always a race… If you think in Australia we had three red flags can you imagine how many red flags we will have in Baku in two races?!”

And Steiner has no qualms about the timing of the decision, saying the teams should be easily able to deal with the new format despite the agreement only coming in Melbourne and official approval still required.

“We have to deal with new things but we always say F1 is so advanced that if in three weeks we cannot get this together then I think we need to change job, and not be telling people how advanced Formula 1 is!”