Ex-Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner has taken the American squad to court over missing funds that he believes he is owed and for continuing to use his image.
Court documents submitted in Mecklenburg, North Carolina have revealed that Steiner has alleged that he is due to be paid for commissions between 2021 and 2023.
According to Steiner, whose contract was not renewed at the start of this campaign, those missing sums violated the terms of his employment agreement with Haas.
“Haas F1 chose not to renew Mr. Steiner’s Employment Agreement. This was its right.
“But Haas F1 has done what it has no right to do and refused to pay Mr. Steiner [amount redacted] owed under his Employment Agreement.”
“After years of accepting the benefits of Mr. Steiner’s reputation, experience, and deep connections within the sport, Haas F1 cannot withhold from Mr. Steiner the benefits he has earned.”
In addition, Steiner has sued Haas over promoting his image for monetary gain due to his status as a popular name since his appearances in Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
“Haas F1 was frequently featured in the series, and Mr. Steiner’s presence in the show drove more and more fans to Haas F1,” the document reads.
“This exposure was extremely valuable to the upstart racing team, particularly as it looked for additional revenue streams to support itself in the notoriously expensive Formula 1 environment.”
It added: “Haas F1 has no right to use Mr. Steiner’s name, image, and likeness or to exploit them in any form of media after the termination of his employment.
“Haas F1 has not compensated Mr. Steiner for its unauthorized use of his name, image, and likeness.”
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