Steiner open to F1 return ‘if there’s a project I like’

Guenther Steiner may have stepped away from Formula 1, but the unmistakable growl of the paddock still seems to be echoing in his ears.

The former Haas team boss has revealed that he would consider a return to g-Grand Prix racing, opening the door to a comeback if the right opportunity presents itself.

And in typical Steiner fashion, the message was delivered with a mixture of blunt honesty, restless ambition and a wink of humour.

Speaking on the Up to Speed podcast, Steiner made it clear that he is not interested in simply returning to the F1 grid for the sake of a job title.

“Yeah. I will come back if there is a project I like. I mean, I always say, just to go back and do a job: no;” he said.

“There are so many things I like to do. And if you look at me, the last 10, 15, years it was always – or even 20 years – it was always projects.

It was not going for a job. Because just doing a job, it’s actually- I wouldn’t say boring to me, but there is not enough excitement.”

A comeback on his own terms

Since leaving Haas at the end of 2023, following reported disagreements with owner Gene Haas after the team finished bottom of the Constructors’ Championship, Steiner has hardly disappeared from motorsport.

The 61-year-old has spent decades bouncing between rallying, Formula 1 and now MotoGP, where he is involved with the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team.

Yet the comments suggest that Formula 1 still occupies a special place in his thinking. The sport has entered a new era with fresh regulations, new manufacturers and ambitious entrants, and Steiner’s appetite appears to be reserved for something that can be built rather than inherited.

“It needs to be something which really challenges me,” Steiner said.

“A project means something you can shape yourself what to do. Not just going in, because I don’t live by a job title. I couldn’t care less about the job title.

“You know, for me, it’s like doing something I like to do.”

• Read also: Steiner triggers intrigue with Russell-to-Audi prediction

Those words will inevitably spark speculation. Could a future expansion team seek his experience? Might a manufacturer launching a new programme value a man who helped guide Haas from concept to the Formula 1 grid in 2016?

Steiner did not name names, but he hardly sounded like someone closing the garage door for good.

From pit wall to TV studio

Steiner’s post-Haas life has taken an unexpected turn into television, where his outspoken personality has made him a natural broadcaster. Even there, however, he frames the move as another challenge rather than a retirement plan.

“It’s like when I left Haas, I went into TV. I didn’t know that that industry even existed. But then I got an offer, and I said, ‘I’ll try it.’ Because I wanted to be as good as David [Coulthard], I didn’t achieve it yet! So, long way to go, you know? It’s impossible!”

The punchline quickly gave way to a reminder of the mindset that defined his Haas years.

“When I started an F1 team, they told me, ‘You will never make that. Nobody can do that, to start a new F1 team.’ ‘Okay, I will show you!’ So, I think it was easier to start an F1 team than to get as good as David on TV.”

That final quip may have drawn laughter, but it also revealed something important: Steiner still thrives on proving doubters wrong.

For now, there is no announced return, no secret deal and no confirmed team waiting in the wings. But Formula 1 has a habit of pulling familiar characters back into its orbit, and Steiner has made one thing abundantly clear.

If a project arrives that can ignite his competitive instincts, the former Haas boss is ready to listen.

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