“We look like a bunch of wankers.”
It’s fair to say that a star was born when Guenther Steiner uttered words to that effect on an early season of Drive to Survive. Just as much as the Netflix documentary has propelled Formula 1 into the limelight and helped it amass a new following, so too it has done the same for the Haas F1 team principal.
T-shirts emblazoned with his face and catchphrases have cropped up across the globe on F1’s travels, and the Italian is almost as much of a celebrity as some of the drivers.
It was perhaps inevitable, then, that he has published a book, which is aptly titled Surviving to Drive: A year inside Formula 1. Firstly, and very unsurprisingly, reader discretion is advised since there are so many expletives – a Steiner trademark, which, along with his sudden outbursts and forthright comments, have made him a star.
All of those aspects feature in abundance throughout the book, which rather than being an autobiography is essentially a diary in which Steiner charts each weekend of the 2022 F1 season with Haas, and any other notable bits in between during the campaign.
This begins with dropping Nikita Mazepin and the team’s Uralkali sponsorship in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and culminates on something of a high with Kevin Magnussen earning the team its first pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix – via ups and plenty of downs.
Those hoping for a Steiner performance similar to his Drive to Survive exploits are in for a treat – there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, witty comments and rants galore. He’s certainly not afraid of being sued for any of his remarks, which include taking aim at the FIA decisions that impacted Haas over the course of the season, as well as former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher.
The German becomes a critic of Steiner due to the perceived way his nephew, Mick, is being treated by the team, but the Haas boss pulls no punches.
Guenther Steiner has attracted quite a public following – and that was before the new book!
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
His honesty is refreshing given that almost all who work in F1 are generally subjected to toeing a PR line – but not Steiner. And although happy to criticise others, he’s certainly not above berating himself or being the butt of a joke.
Weaved in among Haas’s exploits are moments from Steiner’s life, such as how he got into motorsport in the first place, through rallying, before joining three-time…
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