Guenther Steiner reveals true extent of Gene Haas’ F1 cost-cutting measures

Ex-Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed the extreme lengths owner Gene Haas resorted to in order to save money on his tightly run minnow team.

Fresh from being infamously fired by Haas in January of this year, Steiner has begun to share his exploits in the paddock in his books and various evening talks.

Fans have been given snippets of life in the paddock during his ten-year run, including just how deep the need to cut costs went for F1’s smallest team as it battled with its small budget.

He confirmed a story in his new book “Unfiltered” in which Gene Haas ordered baked beans served to Steiner be sent back to the factory after he refused to eat them when served.

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“This is real,” Steiner said in the book via The Athletic.

“I told the ghostwriter that story, and he said, ‘Are you f*** making this s*** up?’ I said, ‘No, this is true! This is what I lived for 10 years!’”

The final phone call

Since his dismissal, he has excelled as a pundit and presenter for European broadcaster RTL, however, it is clear Steiner still has gripes with his termination, specifically how he was let go.

He has repeatedly said he and his boss were not aligned, going as far as to say there was a disconnect in the level of ambition for the team.

He criticised the decision to fire him via a phone call, calling the move “cheap”, and highlighted the substantial growth he brought to Haas during his tenure as Team Principal.

“Doing it like this [through a phone call] is a little bit cheap if you build up a company for somebody and make him half a billion dollars,” he expressed.

Such is his dissatisfaction, Steiner has ruled out any potential reconciliation as he moves into the next chapter in his career as a fledgling media personality.

He went as far as to say that he does not desire to even speak to his former boss, implying he no longer requires him to succeed in his career.

“The last thing I want is to speak with him, I don’t need him anymore,” he confirmed.

READ MORE: Christian Horner ‘annoying’ when winning in F1 – Guenther Steiner