Guenther Steiner has abandoned his lawsuit against the Haas Formula 1 team after an agreement between the two parties was reached.
Steiner had originally sued the American outfit 10 months ago, alleging unpaid commissions, as well as the use of his image, which he claimed continued after being informed his contract would not be renewed prior to the start of the 2024 season.
The case brought to a court in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, stated “The popularity of Formula 1 in America is rapidly growing, and Haas F1 has grown with it. But neither Haas F1 nor Formula 1 would exist in the modern United States if not for Guenther Steiner.”
However, further documentation from the County Clerk confirmed that, after 28 hours and 36 minutes of mediation, a resolution was agreed between the Italian and the team, with Steiner agreeing to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it cannot be filed again.
A statement released by Haas said: “Haas Formula, LLC is pleased to announce that Guenther Steiner and Haas Formula, LLC have resolved their dispute, that Guenther Steiner has withdrawn all allegations previously made in his lawsuit, and all claims asserted against Haas Formula, LLC have been dismissed with prejudice.
“Both Mr. Steiner and Haas Formula, LLC wish each other success in their future endeavours and will have no further comments on this matter.”
Steiner’s history at Haas
Steiner was at the forefront of bringing Haas into F1, helping create the team with owner, Gene Haas.
The Haas team made its F1 debut in 2016 with Steiner at the helm, and became the perennial underdogs of the sport, with the team often working with one of the smallest budgets, if not the smallest, on the grid.
Steiner developed the model whereby Haas borrowed as many F1 components from suppliers as was legal under the regulations, with the team forming a close technical relationship with Ferrari.
The persona of Steiner and the team’s struggles were put under the microscope on the Netflix series Drive to Survive, with Steiner’s forthright and often expletive-laden nature making himself a cult figure with fans.
He has been able to carry this into work as a media pundit since being replaced at Haas by Ayao Komatsu, making numerous appearances at F1 races across 2024, including conducting post-session and race interviews with the top three drivers.
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