Red Bull’s Helmut Marko Cites Netflix Influence in Guenther Steiner’s Haas F1 Departure

In a surprising revelation, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko attributed former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner’s departure to his heightened popularity from Netflix’s Drive to Survive series. Marko’s statement highlighted the impact of media exposure on team dynamics in Formula 1.

Key Takeaways:

• Netflix’s Impact on F1: Helmut Marko blamed the Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive for Guenther Steiner’s exit from Haas. According to Marko, Steiner’s increased popularity led to him wanting more stakes in the team, which didn’t sit well with team owner Gene Haas.
• Steiner’s Tenure and Departure: Guenther Steiner had been with Haas since their F1 entry in 2016. His departure, announced just before the 2024 season, ends a significant era for the American team. He has been replaced by Ayao Komatsu, Haas’s Director of Engineering.
• Gene Haas’s Stance: Gene Haas, while appreciating Steiner’s personality and contributions, emphasized performance as the key reason for the change. With no podium finishes in over 160 races and recent standings at the bottom of the grid, Haas felt a new direction was necessary for the team’s future.

The Formula 1 world was left stunned last week when Haas F1 Team announced the departure of their long-serving team principal Guenther Steiner, ahead of the challenging 2024 season which includes an extensive 24-race calendar. This move brought an end to an association that began when Haas entered the sport in 2016.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s senior advisor, shed light on the circumstances leading to this decision. In a statement to F1-Insider, he pointed out the role of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series in elevating Steiner’s profile, suggesting that this popularity may have led Steiner to aspire for more control within the team. Marko’s quote, “Let’s put it this way: anyone who becomes too popular through a documentary like Netflix tends to take off. But if you fly too high too fast, you also crash faster,” encapsulates the perceived risk of such media exposure in the competitive world of F1.

On the other hand, Gene Haas, the team owner, provided a different perspective in his comments to F1’s website. He acknowledged Steiner’s likable personality but underlined the team’s underperformance as the primary factor for the change. Haas’s dissatisfaction with the team’s results, particularly the absence of podium finishes in their eight-year history, drove his decision to seek a new direction for the team.

The contrasting views of Marko and Haas highlight the complex dynamics at play in Formula 1, where performance, personality, and media exposure intertwine to influence major decisions. Steiner’s exit marks the end of an era for Haas and opens a new chapter with Ayao Komatsu at the helm, as the team looks to climb up from their recent struggles on the grid.