How Steiner’s family reacted to the Netflix appearance – Little did Guenther Steiner know that he would one day become viral gold and a social media sensation, but here we are – thanks to the hit Netflix series *Drive to Survive*. Since the show’s launch in 2018, the former Haas team principal has seen his profile skyrocket.

Known for his colourful language and larger-than-life personality, Steiner has become a darling of F1 Twitter and beyond, providing meme-worthy moments that have delighted fans around the world. But with his departure from Haas ahead of the 2024 season, his absence will undoubtedly be felt both on and off the track.

 

 

Guenther Steiner in F1: A long and varied career

Born on 7 April 1965 in Merano, Italy, 59-year-old Steiner has enjoyed a long and successful career in motorsport. His journey began in the 1980s, not in Formula 1, but in rallying, where he started out as a mechanic with Mazda Rally Team Europe. Over more than a decade, Steiner steadily built a successful career in rallying, eventually working with the M-Sport Ford Focus teams alongside legends such as Carlos Sainz Sr and Colin McRae.

Steiner’s big break in F1 came in 2001 thanks to the late Niki Lauda, who recognised his talent and persuaded him to join Jaguar Racing as Managing Director. After one season with Jaguar, Steiner took a break from F1, but returned in 2005 with another significant opportunity – this time with Red Bull Racing as Technical Operations Director, where he helped establish a winning structure.

In 2006, Steiner moved to the United States to take on a new challenge: building Red Bull’s NASCAR Cup Series team from scratch. He remained with the team until 2008, when he returned to the United States permanently.

Eight years later, he was back in Formula One, chosen by Gene Haas to lead his new American team. After a decade at the helm, Steiner stepped down ahead of the 2024 season to be replaced by the team’s former technical director, Ayao Komatsu.

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Steiner the star of ‘Drive to Survive’

Before Netflix and Formula 1 teamed up to debut *Drive to Survive* in 2018, Steiner wasn’t exactly a household name, especially for casual fans of the sport. But the show changed everything for him. Netflix’s storytelling approach, which focuses on individual narratives rather than simply presenting a chronological overview of the season, quickly highlighted Steiner’s star quality.

With Ferrari and Mercedes opting out of the first season, Haas and the other teams on the grid received more airtime, allowing Steiner to become an unexpected star of the show. He has been a mainstay ever since, providing some of the series’ most memorable moments and quotes.

His relationships with his drivers – be they Romain Grosjean, Nikita Mazepin, Kevin Magnussen or Mick Schumacher – have provided plenty of fodder for the cameras, with Steiner’s candid, often explosive reactions becoming legendary.

One particularly memorable storyline involved the struggles of Mick Schumacher at Haas, with Steiner’s growing frustration portrayed in brutally graphic fashion.

Steiner’s rise to global fame has also made him a major figure in the United States; he even joined the FOX commentary booth in March 2023 to provide analysis for a NASCAR Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas.

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Best Guenther Steiner quotes and memes

Steiner’s unfiltered commentary has provided some of the most iconic moments in *Drive to Survive*. His outbursts, often laced with profanity, have become viral hits and spawned a number of memes and merchandise. Some of his most famous lines include:

– “He’s not f***ing doing that to me. He’s not f***ing smashing my door down. If he doesn’t want to come back, he’d better tell me now. But he can f*** off, I told him. Both of them, f***ing hell. We have two f***ing idiots driving for us, that is not acceptable, we will make changes. – After Kevin Magnussen smashed his office door.

– “The car was not a piece of crap. So why did we develop a car that goes f***ing slower? Find out what the problem is and make progress instead of saying ‘this is better’. It’s not. ‘This is better’ – it f***ing isn’t.” – To the Haas technical team during a tense moment on the show.

– “He’s worried about the brake overheating. F***ing hell. He’s going so bloody slow he doesn’t need to brake.” – As Mick Schumacher struggled to keep pace at the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

– “We finish fourth and fifth here, we look like f***ing rock stars. But now we are a bunch of w***ers. A bunch of f***ing clowns.” – During a phone call to team owner Gene Haas after a particularly painful race.

These quotes have become emblematic of Steiner’s no-holds-barred approach to team management and have cemented his status as a fan favourite.

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Family reaction to Netflix stardom

Despite his new-found fame, Steiner remains a private man, especially when it comes to his family. The accent may not give it away, but Guenther actually holds dual Italian and American citizenship. He is married to Gertraud Steiner and they have a daughter named Greta.

Drive to Survive gave fans a glimpse of his private life, with Steiner and his wife occasionally discussing Formula 1 and more mundane matters on camera.

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The public and private Guenther Steiner: A dichotomy

Despite the worldwide recognition that ‘Drive to Survive’ has brought him, Guenther Steiner is keenly aware of the distinction between his public persona and his private life.

“You know me well enough, but at home I’m a different person – a completely different person,” he told the ‘Autosport’ podcast. This statement highlights the duality that many public figures experience, where the lines between their professional and personal lives can become blurred, but must be carefully managed.

Steiner admits that he has never watched ‘Drive to Survive’, nor has he asked his wife for her thoughts on his portrayal in the series.

“I’ve never asked my wife, ‘What do you think? I don’t even want to know the answer,” he said, emphasising his desire to keep his family life separate from his on-screen antics.

For Steiner’s daughter, her father’s fame has been both a blessing and a curse, especially in the age of social media.

“Sometimes it’s cool, sometimes it’s not. It goes both ways,” Steiner explained. As the family navigates the challenges of living in the public eye, Steiner remains focused on maintaining a sense of normalcy at home.

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Formula 1 as entertainment: The role of social media

The explosion of interest in Formula One, fuelled in part by ‘Drive to Survive’ and social media, has put the spotlight not only on the drivers but also on team members like Steiner.

“Formula 1 is entertainment, but it is not a scripted show,” said Steiner.

“I do what I do and say what I think, whether you like it or not. That’s entertainment.”

It’s a candid approach that fans of the series have come to love, and it’s a key factor in the sport’s growing popularity.

Steiner is well aware of the change in fan expectations. Gone are the days when people were content to just watch the races. Today’s fans demand a more immersive experience, one that includes behind-the-scenes access and personal stories.

“When I started in F1, it was a small sport. People were happy to watch the races. Today, young people want much more entertainment,” he said.

 

 

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Evolving fan expectations: The need for a show

Steiner’s philosophy is simple: give people what they want.

“If you don’t give them that, they’ll go somewhere else. That’s how you lose fans,” he warned. Under the stewardship of Liberty Media, Formula One has embraced this philosophy, transforming race weekends into full-blown events that offer much more than just the race itself.

Citing the examples of Miami and Las Vegas, Steiner described how these races are now designed to be all-day experiences, with plenty of activities to keep fans engaged.

“There’s a lot of entertainment. You can get there at nine in the morning and stay until eight at night. During that time, you’re in full swing and experiencing a lot of new things because there’s so much going on,” he said. This approach reflects the changing nature of sports entertainment in the digital age.

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Steiner on Social Media

The rise of social media has been instrumental in this change. Fans now have unprecedented access to the inner workings of F1, and they want more.

“People can see what they want to see. The abnormal, but in a positive way, and that’s why they watch,” said Steiner. Today’s fans are not just interested in the races themselves; they want to understand the personalities behind the sport, the stories that drive them and the reasons why they compete.

Despite the fame that ‘Drive to Survive’ has brought him, Steiner remains grounded. He doesn’t watch the show because, as he puts it, “I’ve experienced the situations myself”.

For him, the on-screen persona is just an extension of who he is, albeit one shaped by the pressures and dynamics of the sport.

“I usually forget I’m wearing a microphone,” he admitted, which perhaps explains his unfiltered, often humorous commentary that has endeared him to fans around the world.

Yet beneath the surface, there is a clear distinction between the public figure that fans have come to know and the private individual who values his family’s peace and privacy. 

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