Haas' Steiner sees solid platform for F1 with Liberty

Haas F1 Team boss Guenther Steiner is confident that Formula 1 will enjoy a bright future under the guidance of new owners Liberty Media.

Following Bernie Ecclestone's  forty-year reign, the sport has now been entrusted to a company and executives whose expertise should propel Grand Prix racing into a whole new era, although as many, Steiner admits Ecclestone is a tough act to follow.

"I think Formula 1 has got a good future, but I think everyone who ever works in F1 is thankful to Bernie for what he did to take us to where we are now," Steiner said.

"Without him, we will miss a character, but we move on. There is always something after everything. I hope the new shareholders will do a good job, as good or better as Bernie, we hope.

"If they do as good a job as Bernie, it will be a good sport for a long time to come."

Steiner is positive however on Liberty Media's ability to bring the sport up to speed, mainly with the digital world, while preserving its stability.

"Chase Carey gave an interview recently to one of the big channels in the States, and he gave a taste of what he wants to do.

"I don’t think there was anything [that made me go] ‘wow, I didn’t think of that one’. They just want to get better and use technology more in the media world as well, and maybe put a budget cap on.

"But we all know there are long-term contracts with the teams that cannot be changed tomorrow. FOM owns the rights to the promoting of the sport, but not to rule it: that’s the FIA."

"I think in F1 there is good governance, a very solid governance how it is ruled. So somebody can’t come in and turn it completely around in two weeks.

"I think that’s a good thing to keep it stable. It’s a very solid platform to do this."

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