Team owner Gene Haas says "it doesn't seem like continuing with what we had is really going to work" after Guenther Steiner's exit; while Haas says he's not blaming the team's underperformance on Steiner, he "can't understand how we can be [last] with all the equipment and people we have"
Thursday 11 January 2024 13:13, UK
Gene Haas has opened up on the reasons for Guenther Steiner's shock departure, saying the long-serving team boss' exit "came down to performance" on the track, with the American owner saying he has had enough of being "humiliated" by their form.
In an interview with F1, Haas also said he had "no interest in being 10th anymore" - which represents last place in F1's Constructors' Championship - and that "I can't understand how we can be with all the equipment and people we have"
Steiner's departure from the US-owned team comes 10 years after the Italian first joined Haas to set up the start-up F1 outfit, which made its debut in 2016 and achieved a best season placing of fifth two years later.
But after finishing 10th and last in the F1 standings for two of the past three seasons, the team's owner felt it was time for change, with Steiner departing at the end of his contract and Ayao Komatsu promoted from a senior engineering role into his place.
"It came down to performance," Gene Haas told F1's website.
"Here we are in our eighth year, over 160 races - we have never had a podium. The last couple of years, we've been 10th or ninth.
"I'm not sitting here saying it's Guenther's fault, or anything like that, but it just seems like this was an appropriate time to make a change and try a different direction, because it doesn't seem like continuing with what we had is really going to work."
Haas added: "I like Guenther, he's a really nice person, a really good personality.
"We had a tough end to the year. I don't understand that, I really don't. Those are good questions to ask Guenther, what went wrong. At the end of the day, it's about performance. I have no interest in being 10th anymore."
Sky Sports News understands that Steiner's contract was ultimately not renewed by Haas as the pair had differing options about the next steps for the team in terms of the timing for additional funding in infrastructure.
Haas disputed widespread long-held suggestions that the team was relatively under-funded in comparison F1's budget cap of $135m (£105m), which most teams are operating at or close towards.
"There is a perception we spend a lot less money; we're usually within $10m of the budget limit," stressed Haas.
"I just think we don't do a very good job of spending that money. A lot of teams have had previous investments in their infrastructure, buildings, equipment and personnel. Our model was to outsource a lot of that. We spend a lot of money."
Part of the outsourcing is through a close partnership with Ferrari, which under F1's regulations Haas buy certain hardware for their car such as engine, gearbox and suspension.
"I'm embarrassed that we haven't been able to do better with it," he added about the Ferrari deal. "But going forward I want to take advantage of good equipment that a lot of other teams don't have."
Haas, who scored only 12 points in F1 2023, added: "I talk to a lot of the engineers and I think our biggest failing is aero; our aero programme needs work. When you're at the track and you're humiliated every weekend, I'm going to stop taking that one anymore."
The American added: "It's really all about winning. We have a great team, we have great engines, we have really great drivers. There's no reason why we are 10th. I can't understand how we can be with all the equipment and people we have."
Haas made clear he remained fully committed to the team and that "we're not here to cash out", adding that he also planned to be "a lot more involved" into the team's new era.
Ayao Komatsu has been charged with leading the team from 2024 with the experienced Japanese engineer also having been with the squad since its maiden year.
Although other established team bosses like Mattia Binotto and Otmar Szafnauer were on the market, Haas said he prioritised keeping the replacement for Steiner in-house and is hopeful Komatsu's skillset can offer something different to help them move forward.
"I think Guenther had more of a human-type approach to everything with people and the way he interacted with people, he was very good at that," said Haas.
"Ayao is very technical, he looks at things based on statistics - this is what we're doing bad, where can we do better. It's a different approach.
"We really do need something different because we weren't really doing that well. Like I said, it all comes down to eight years in, dead last. Nothing more I can say on that."
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