Guenther Steiner is "very happy to have left Haas" and gives thoughts on Toyota plans with the team

The former Haas F1 team principal, who led the American outfit from its 2016 debut until the end of 2023, said little has changed at the team since he exited. While Steiner still attends around 10 Grands Prix each season as a television pundit, Steiner insists he does not miss life at Haas.

His comments continue a candid assessment of his post-Haas life, having previously described the role as far less stressful and spoken openly about the circumstances surrounding his exit.

Asked by 247Bet media team on behalf of GRANNDPRIX247 what he misses most about Haas and Formula 1, Steiner made it clear the team itself is not among them: "To be honest, there's not a lot about Haas that I miss. I'm pretty happy to be gone from there or very happy to have left, because there were reasons why I left, and since I left, not a lot has changed. So that's why I'm happy."

Steiner explained that Formula 1 itself remains a significant part of his life despite no longer occupying the pit wall: "What do I miss most about Formula 1? I'm still going to about 10 races a year in a different capacity. I do TV work mainly, so I'm still around with the F1 people who I like."

He added that it was always the people, rather than the job title, that made Formula 1 special: "When you like a job, it's normally not the job that you like; it's the people you are with. We are only humans. So I still get to see them."

Although Steiner enjoys his new role away from the day-to-day pressures of running a team, there is one part of race weekends he still misses: "The only thing I miss really is the moment when the cars go out.

"The coolest moment when you're running a team is when the cars go out for qualifying. That's a cool moment in your life, you know? I like that feeling a lot. I freak out when I see it. I want to be there. Now, I still see it, and I remember it as a very good time.

"That is the best moment when you're running a team; when your cars go out there for one fast lap, it's such a cool moment," said Steiner, who has remained one of Formula 1's most recognisable personalities since leaving Haas, with television work and public appearances keeping him closely connected to the paddock.

Steiner also addressed growing speculation over Toyota's long-term involvement with Haas following the Japanese manufacturer's technical partnership with the team.

He believes Toyota would certainly be a candidate if Gene Haas ever decided to sell but questioned whether a full takeover is likely: "I have no idea. Obviously, they are the title sponsor at the moment. So if Gene Haas wants to sell, then I think there is more than one party wanting to buy it. But for sure, Toyota is an option."

Steiner stressed that he has no inside knowledge but suggested Toyota has already had opportunities to make a bigger commitment: "I have no real insight. I think if Toyota wanted to do a deal with Haas, they may have done it already, because Toyota has a lot of motorsport. We know that it's in World Rally; it's in WEC. They are in NASCAR. They're doing a lot of motorsport."

He believes Toyota's painful experience during its previous Formula 1 programme may still be influencing its thinking: "If they want to go to F1, I think they would have made moves already. I mean, it's quite a while ago now that they tried to get to F1, spent a huge amount of money, and had very little success doing it."

"So I think they are still a little bit scared by that experience, and I don't really know what is happening next, but I would find it surprising if they would come now because they could have made moves already a few years ago.

"That's because they've got enough money, they're a big company, a very good company, and they know motorsport," explained Steiner, but remains unconvinced that Toyota will ultimately buy Haas, he believes there would be no shortage of interested parties should Gene Haas ever decide to put the Formula 1 team on the market.