Gunther Steiner, Gene Haas explain reasons for separation
Gunther Steiner, Gene Haas explain reasons for separation
Just a few months before the start of the new F1 season there's already been the first twist. Haas, in fact, in surprising fashion, announced the official separation from Gunther Steiner, who is leaving the role of team principal after a full 10 seasons. In place of the South Tyrolean will be Ayao Komatsu. At the microphones of the official F1 website, American team owner Gene Haas wanted to elaborate on the reasons that would lead to this decision.
"The main reason for me is performance. We have 160 races behind us without ever getting a podium, and in the last two years we have finished ninth or tenth in the constructors’ standings. I’m not saying it was exclusively Steiner’s fault, but I think the time is right to make a change since the directions we’ve been following have not paid off" began the Haas patròn.
"We had a very complicated end of the season and I no longer accept" to finish tenth. Having a moreù engineering approach maybe will benefit us. With Komatsu in the role of team principal, we put engineering at the heart of our organization. We looked at which figure could be the right one for the changeover, and Ayao has been part of the team since the beginning of our F1 adventure and knows all the details of our stable" continued the U.S. entrepreneur.
"Ferrari è by our side and provides us with incredible engines. I am quite embarrassed in front of our results despite being able to rely on top-notch materials and components. Sauber in 2026 will become Audi and therefore we may remain Ferrari's only customer and we have to do much better. We have their engine, we have a good chassis, I talk to a lot of engineers and I think our biggest flaw is aerodynamics. We have to get busy to find the right way, we don't accept to be humiliated every Sunday anymore" Gene Haas commented.
