Guenther Steiner

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Steiner's path to Formula 1 began in rallying, where he worked as a mechanic for Mazda Rally Team Europe from 1986 to 1988. After stints as assistant team manager at Top Run Srl and technical manager at Jolly Club, he managed Prodrive's Allstar Rally team to win the European Rally Championship in 1997 with Krzysztof Hołowczyc. M-Sport recruited him as project manager in 1998, and by 2000 he was director of engineering under the Ford World Rally Team alongside drivers Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, securing consecutive runner-up finishes in the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Niki Lauda headhunted Steiner for the managing director role at Jaguar Racing, with Steiner recounting that Lauda asked, "are there any talented people at Ford?" and the reply was "there's Günther." After Jaguar, Steiner spent 2003 on garden leave before becoming technical director at Opel Performance Center. He returned to Formula 1 when Red Bull purchased Jaguar Racing, serving as technical operations director from 2005. When Red Bull poached Adrian Newey, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz approached Steiner to help establish a NASCAR team, leading him to move to Mooresville, North Carolina, where he served as Team Red Bull's technical director from 1 April 2006 to April 2008.

In Their Own Story

The original vision for Haas F1 Team began with a business plan Steiner wrote at his kitchen table during the financial crisis of the late 2000s. While the US F1 Team was in development, Steiner met Joe Custer and Gene Haas of Stewart–Haas Racing at a steakhouse, where they had declined to invest in the project. Steiner proposed they enter F1 by ordering a customer car from an established constructor. He credited support from Niki Lauda, Stefano Domenicali, Jean Todt, and Charlie Whiting as crucial to convincing Bernie Ecclestone to approve the team's entry. Described as "the prime 'doer'" by Autosport, Steiner recruited the core staff, interviewed every team member, and developed partnerships with outsourcers Dallara and Ferrari. On 14 April 2014, he was officially announced team principal. Haas became the first American constructor to compete in F1 in 30 years with their 2016 entry. The team took eight points at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with a 6th-place finish by Romain Grosjean, becoming the first American entry and first constructor since Toyota Racing in 2002 to score in their debut race. Haas finished 8th in the 2016 constructor standings with 29 points, all scored by Grosjean. Steiner became notable for his forthright personality on the Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. In January 2024, Haas chose not to renew Steiner's contract; he was replaced by Ayao Komatsu. In May 2024, it was reported Steiner sued Haas for non-payment of commissions and unauthorized use of his name and image, while Haas Automation sued Steiner for trademark infringements in his autobiography—a lawsuit dismissed by the court in September 2024.

Reader's Guide

Steiner's career spans from rally mechanic to Formula 1 team principal. After leaving Red Bull in 2008, he remained in Mooresville and founded Fibreworks Composites in January 2009. His Haas F1 Team entry was approved after delays in securing a customer car arrangement, leading them to apply as a privateer team. The team's debut at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix saw Romain Grosjean finish 6th, scoring points in their first race—a rare achievement. Steiner released his first book, Surviving to Drive: A year inside Formula 1, in 2023 about his experiences. In October 2024 he released a second book, Unfiltered: My Incredible Decade in Formula 1. As part of promotional activities, Steiner embarked on a tour of multiple venues in the United Kingdom with a live show between November 2024 and June 2025. In late February 2024, Steiner signed with RTL as a specialist commentator for F1 in Germany, attending at least seven Grands Prix for the 2024 season. He began his role as race ambassador for the Miami Grand Prix in April 2024. In September 2025, Steiner was named head of the consortium that acquired Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP team.

Did You Know?

• Steiner was born in Merano, South Tyrol, the son of a butcher, and studied engineering without completing his degree.
• He won the European Rally Championship in 1997 managing Prodrive's Allstar Rally team with Krzysztof Hołowczyc.
• Niki Lauda headhunted Steiner for Jaguar Racing after asking Ford if there were any talented people and being told 'there's Günther.'
• Steiner wrote the original business plan for Haas F1 Team at his kitchen table during the financial crisis of the late 2000s.
• Haas became the first American constructor to compete in F1 in 30 years and the first constructor since Toyota Racing in 2002 to score points in their debut race.