The Latest Breaking News from Guenther Steiner

Steiner’s ousting from Haas ahead of the 2024 campaign means Aston Martin’s Mike Krack is now the third longest-serving F1 team principal, after he was appointed to replace Otmar Szafnauer at the end of the 2021 season.

After an on-stage Q&A – and impromptu book signing – with Sky Sports F1 TV commentator David Croft in front of a bumper crowd at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Steiner gave his first media interviews since leaving the squad he formed on behalf of team owner Gene Haas…

The Haas Formula 1 team announced this week (10 January) the shock departure of team principal Guenther Steiner, with Ayao Komatsu as his replacement.

In two years, all teams but Mercedes and Red Bull have changed their team principals. Steiner has joined Mattia Binotto, Jost Capito and Otmar Szafnauer (twice) on the list of those who were ousted in somewhat acrimonious circumstances, with director of engineering Ayao Komatsu taking over at Haas.

American team make surprise move as Ayao Komatsu hired

The American has also opened up on his reasons for not renewing the contract of team principal Guenther Steiner, and for promoting Ayao Komatsu to the role rather than taking on an outsider.

After all, the way that Andrea Stella took to the team principal role at McLaren like a duck to water – helping steer one of the most impressive F1 comebacks in living memory – showed all that’s possible with the right engineering-led focus at the top. 

Guenther Steiner, Haas’s team principal for 10 years, has been replaced for the new F1 season by Ayao Komatsu

The shock news was announced by the US-owned outfit on Wednesday in the wake of a poor 2023 season that saw it finish 10th and last in the constructors’ world championship.