(Motorsport-Total.com) – Former Haas team principal Günther Steiner could imagine a return to Formula 1 – at least under the right conditions. “I would come back if there is a project that I like,” says the South Tyrolean in the podcast Up To Speed with hosts Jolie Sharpe and former Formula 1 driver David Coulthard.
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Of course, “project” is always somewhat broad, but Steiner explains what he imagines by it: “A project is something you can shape and influence yourself – and not just jumping in somewhere because you want to have a title,” he says.
“I do not define myself by a job title. The job title could not matter less to me. For me, it is about doing something I enjoy.”
Steiner says there are many things he would like to do. “And if you look at my career, the last ten, twenty years have always been projects,” he says. “It was never just about a simple job for me. Because just doing a job – I wouldn’t say it’s too boring for me, but it lacks the thrill. It has to be something that really challenges me.”
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The 61-year-old was also involved with Jaguar and Red Bull earlier, but he only became truly well-known as team principal of Haas, which he led into Formula 1 in 2016. At the latest with the Netflix documentary “Drive to Survive,” he became a kind of fan favorite and cult figure before being replaced as Haas team principal in January 2024.
Since then, he has extended his reach into MotoGP, where he is co-owner of Tech3-KTM. On the side, he continues to be a regular guest in the Formula 1 paddock as a TV expert (including for RTL).
“Honestly, I didn’t even know this industry existed. But then I got an offer and thought I’d just try it because I wanted to be as good as David,” he jokes. “However, I haven’t managed that yet. So I think it was easier to build a Formula 1 team from scratch than to become as good on TV as David.”
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