Steiner takes Haas F1 team to court

Guenther Steiner has launched a court action against his former Haas F1 team over unpaid commissions and the team continuing to use his likeness for promotional material since his departure.

The fan-favourite ex-team principal claims that Haas has not paid him for commissions that were due in 2021, 2022 and 2023, allegedly violating an employment agreement he had.

Steiner left the team at the end of 2023 after Haas team owner Gene Haas reportedly declined to offer him a stake in the team, even after his efforts in securing a $20 million sponsorship. 

The court documents, lodged in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, also detail Steiner’s claim that the team continue to make profits off merchandise featuring his name and image, as well as using him on the official website.

The Italian says this is being done without his permission, adding that Haas is not paying him the royalties he says he is due.

The documents detailed:

“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.

“But 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,” they said.

“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.”

Steiner first took on the role when Haas joined the sport in 2016, maintaining his job until he elected to leave ahead of the 2024 season, and was replaced by Ayao Komatsu.

Although specifics have been redacted from the publicly released information, the documents made clear that Steiner believes Haas benefited from his popularity earned from 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,” it said.

“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.”

Since leaving Haas, Steiner has continued to work in F1 media, staying close to the Formula 1 world as he also acts as an ambassador for this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix event.

The Miami Grand Prix is the second of six Sprint Weekends this season, running in the early hours of the morning for Australian F1 fans.

2024 Miami Grand Prix

Saturday, May 4

Practice 1: 2:30-3:30

Sprint Qualifying: 6:30-7:14

Sunday, May 5

Sprint: 2:00-3:00

Qualifying: 6:00-7:00

Monday, May 6

Grand Prix: 6:00

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