Once F1’s plans became known, Haas avoided the huge cost of sacking Gunther Steiner.
Once F1’s plans became known, Haas avoided the huge cost of sacking Gunther Steiner.
Gunther Steiner was sacked by Haas on Thursday after a painful season in which the American team finished with 12 points, but the Italian team will not receive a big payday.
Team owner Gene Haas won’t let Gunther Steiner take a big payday after firing the Italian.
Haas avoided paying Gunther Steiner a sizeable bonus after ditching the Italian.
Steiner stepped down as Team USA president on Wednesday after 10 years at the helm. For most of its time in the sport, Haas has struggled, finishing last season in the constructors’ standings with 12 points.
But Steiner won plaudits for his leadership of the team, including pole at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix and a fifth-place finish in 2018. However, performance has steadily declined in recent years.
This prompted team owner Gene Haas to drop the beloved Steiner and replace him with technical director Ayao Komatsu. However, Haas won’t have to pay Steiner a huge salary as his contract expires.
This means he will leave the club on a free transfer after spending his first eight years in the sport. Despite his popularity, the Haas owner believes a change in team management is needed after a painful season.
“I would like to thank Gunter Steiner for his hard work over the past ten years and wish him all the best for the future. “It’s clear that we need to improve our performance as we move forward as an organization,” he said.
“With the appointment of Ayao Komatsu as Group President, we have fundamentally placed technology at the heart of our operations. We have had some successes, but as an organization we must continue to deliver results that help us achieve our broader goals.
“We need to make the most of the resources we have, but improving our design and engineering capabilities is key to our team’s success. “We look forward to working with Ayao to fundamentally maximize our potential.”
Komatsu was promoted from his role as Director of Engineering, having been with the team since the debut season. He has over 20 years experience in F1 and has also worked for BAR and Renault. The Japanese engineer will now be responsible for the team’s overall strategy and ultimately its performance on the track. A Chief Operating Officer (COO) will also be appointed, and Komatsu is grateful for this opportunity.
