Günther Steiner isn’t done with Formula 1 yet and can imagine a return if he has a project he can shape himself
Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner could imagine a return to Formula 1—at least under the right conditions. “I’d come back if there were a project I liked,” says the South Tyrolean on the Up To Speed podcast with hosts Jolie Sharpe and former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard.
Of course, “project” is always a broad term, but Steiner explains what he means by it: “A project is something you can shape and influence yourself—not just jumping on board somewhere because you want a title,” he says.
“I don’t define myself by a job title. I couldn’t care less about a job title. For me, it’s about doing something I feel like doing.”
Steiner says there are many things he’d like to do. “And if you look at my career, the last ten or 20 years have always been projects,” he says. “It was never just about a simple job for me. Because just doing a job—I wouldn’t say it’s too boring for me, but it lacks the thrill. It has to be something that really challenges me.”
Although the 61-year-old was previously involved with Jaguar and Red Bull, he didn’t gain real prominence until he became team principal of Haas, which he led into Formula 1 in 2016. At the latest with the Netflix documentary “Drive to Survive,” he became something of a fan favorite and a cult figure before being replaced as Haas team principal in January 2024.
Since then, he’s been dipping his toes into MotoGP, where he’s a co-owner of Tech3-KTM. On the side, he continues to be a regular guest in the Formula 1 paddock as a TV analyst (including on RTL).
“To be honest, I didn’t even know this industry existed. But then I got an offer and thought to myself, ‘I’ll just give it a try, because I wanted to be just as good as David,’” he jokes. “I haven’t managed that yet, though. So I think it was easier to build a Formula 1 team from the ground up than to become as good on TV as David.”
