Guenther Steiner, former boss of the Haas F1 team, is clearly on form presently as he takes a swipe at both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen on the latest Red Flags podcast.
The Simulator Boycott and Ferrari Hype
In terms of Hamilton, his comments were aimed at the seven-time world champion’s claims that his lack of visits to the simulator were the reason for him claiming second place for Ferrari in Canada.
There had also been some paddock chit-chat that Hamilton now was bossing things at Ferrari and he had subdued his rival and teammate Charles Leclerc. Yet the reality is that Hamilton has excelled in two of the five race weekends this season, claiming podiums in Shanghai and Montreal at circuits where he has won 13% of his career Grand Prix.
“Lewis had a good race. He didn’t go to the simulator. It’s all down to that. He will never go again. He will be winning races soon,” said Steiner in somewhat of a sarcastic fashion. “But I think Charles had a miserable weekend for once. He said it himself. I think he said it was his worst race ever. Also, he will get out of this and he will be the old Charles back. I think Charles is just one of those drivers who is very good. Lewis had one good race. We cannot jump from one good race now that Charles will be behind him.”
Verstappen, Steiner, and Engine Politics
Yet it was not just Hamilton who got a tongue-lashing from the Italian, but Max Verstappen too following his best result of the season at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The four-time champion claimed his first podium of the year by clinching third place after a lengthy tussle with Hamilton for several laps.
Steiner took a dig at Verstappen after his podium finish, stating: “Verstappen was a little bit happier because he was on the podium. I guess if he would have won, he would be really happy, and it would be the best regs ever,” said the former Haas F1 boss. Steiner is now working as a TV pundit for MotoGP and believes that the Red Bull driver’s stance against the new 2026 F1 engine regulations is surely out of self-interest.
“That’s just to clarify where we stand there emotionally with Max on the regs. After the race he had to go out there and say ‘I still don’t really like them. Even if I like them a little bit, but I still want to change the regs.’ That is how his politics are playing to change the engine regs, because they think if ADUO comes in, the other ones get an opportunity to catch up.”
Unpacking ADUO: The Performance Balance Debate
ADUO is currently under review and is the mechanism devised by the FIA to ensure one team does not dominate the sport for years after the new engines were introduced. The Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities will be based on measurements the FIA have been taking over the first five race weekends of the season.
Each internal combustion engine has been measured for its power output at the opening rounds this year. Should any manufacturer be found to be more than 2% down on the power of the leading power unit, they will be given extra dyno time, cost-cap relief, and upgrade allowances to improve their powertrain.
So the implication from Steiner is that the teams and manufacturers are using the drivers to persuade the sport’s governing body that their particular powertrain is worthy of the upgrade allowance. “If there is a new regulation or changed regulation, not completely new, they have got the same opportunity as the other ones. And again, getting maybe even more advantage and to make Max happier. It’s all about making Max happy in Formula 1,” concluded the Italian.
Jos Verstappen Hits Back
Unlike his quips about Lewis Hamilton and the simulator, Steiner’s comments about Verstappen were extensive and detailed and drew a sharp response from Verstappen Snr. He posted on X, “Hi Guenther. I understand why you not a F1 team boss anymore. The way you talk,” penned Jos Verstappen.
However, to categorize Max Verstappen as only out to get Red Bull-Ford more development opportunities for their engines is crass indeed. It was he who, along with his then team boss back in 2023, called out the flaws in the proposed 2026 engine regulations.
Horner labeled them “Frankenstein” monsters and Max predicted the cars would run out of energy halfway down the straights. Quelle surprise! This is exactly what has happened this season. Horner and Verstappen had suggested that the FIA review the proposed 50/50 split between the power from the combustion engine and the power from the battery, something the sport’s governing body finally attempted in March 2025—to no avail.
Driver Consensus on the 2027 Horizon
Due to pressure from Verstappen and most of the F1 drivers, the FIA has finally proposed the split be fundamentally shifted in the architecture of the 2027 engines. This would see the internal combustion engine deliver 60% of the power, meaning when it is acting as a generator for the battery which is depleted, it can still propel the car forward without it losing significant speed.
Verstappen has been key in forcing the issue and in Montreal said this was the “minimum” required from F1. “If it stays like this, it’s going to be a long year next year that I don’t want,” Verstappen warned. “It’s just mentally not doable for me to stay like this. It’s really not.”
Yet Verstappen is not alone in speaking up against the current rules. Lando Norris was scathing about his car overtaking Lewis Hamilton in Japan when he did not want it to. His views are even more blunt than those of Verstappen and when asked about the software tweaks made for Miami, the current world champion left no one in doubt of his opinion.
“It’s a small step in the right direction, but it’s not to the level that Formula 1 should still be at yet. If you go flat out everywhere and you try pushing like you were in previous years, you still just get penalized for it. You still can’t be flat out everywhere. You should never get penalized for that kind of thing and you still do. Honestly, I don’t really think you can fix that. You just have to get rid of the battery. So hopefully in a few years, that’s the case,” said Norris.
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