Günther Steiner and Haas remain at odds following the decision of the American team
After being dismissed from his position as team manager on January 10, 2024, Günther Steiner filed a lawsuit against his former team, Haas, last April.
Günther Steiner has withdrawn his lawsuit against the Haas Formula 1 team following a compromise reached during a mediation session, with the former team principal. The 59-year-old Italian had initiated legal proceedings against Haas Formula in April of last year, claiming that the American team owed him money due to the non-renewal of his contract by Gene Haas, the creator of the team.
It was also claimed that Haas continued to use his name and image after being informed that his contract would not be renewed. Günther Steiner judged that the team continued to grow and strengthen its reputation by leveraging its fame, particularly born from the Netflix F1 documentary series, Drive to Survive.
« The popularity of Formula 1 in America is rapidly increasing, and Haas F1 has grown with it. But neither Haas F1 nor Formula 1 would exist in modern America without Günther Steiner », he explains.
Haas continued to use Günther Steiner’s image in its marketing campaigns, notably to promote his team and sponsors, even after informing him that he would not be retained for the 2024 season.
An agreement reached between both parties
The documents from the clerk of the court of Mecklenburg County (North Carolina) show that a mediation took place and that after 28 hours and 36 minutes, the two parties reached an agreement on all issues. It was also demonstrated that Günther Steiner had dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled in the future.
The American team, in a statement shortly after this mediation, declared: « Haas Formula LLC is pleased to announce that Günther Steiner and Haas Formula LLC have resolved their dispute, that Günther Steiner has withdrawn all allegations previously made in his lawsuit, and that all claims made against Haas Formula LLC have been dismissed with prejudice. »
Günther Steiner took the reins of the Haas team in 2014, two years before its debut in F1. He held this position until Gene Haas, the team’s owner, decided to replace him with Ayao Komatsu for the 2024 season.
Under Günther Steiner’s leadership, Haas achieved the best results in its history: a fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2018. Long before Günther Steiner became the darling of the viewers of the hit series Drive to Survive for his strong opinions and jokes.
But 2018 was a failure. Haas finished in last place in the championship during two of Günther Steiner’s last three seasons, before ranking seventh in Ayao Komatsu’s first year.
Günther Steiner stays in touch with the circuits by working as a consultant for various television channels during Grand Prix, including Canal+.
The American team is heading into 2025 with a completely new lineup of drivers consisting of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, with the hope of performing better than last year.
