Guenther Steiner will be making a return to motorsports next season in MotoGP, and has recently made his feelings clear on whether he would make a potential return to Formula 1.
The former Haas team principal has been absent from the day-to-day duties in F1 since his exit from the team in January 2024.
Steiner was an integral part of the American constructor, developing the team from their very first season in the sport 10 years prior.
Hailing from Italy, Steiner began his career in motorsports as a mechanic in the World Rally Championship before swapping dirt for tarmac in 2001 after being offered the team principal role at Jaguar under the recommendation of Niki Lauda.
Now a pundit for the sport in his own right, Steiner has been vocal on a number of issues within Ferrari during the current campaign, including the progress of Lewis Hamilton’s maiden season at the Scuderia.
Guenther Steiner doesn’t think he can do much better than Fred Vasseur at Ferrari
Ferrari have been under the leadership of Fred Vasseur since the Frenchman was offered the job to replace Mattia Binotto in 2023.
The iconic racing outfit is currently in the midst of the longest title drought in their respective F1 history.
2025 doesn’t appear to be bearing any fruit in that regard. Ferrari currently sit third in the constructors’ championship after just being leapfrogged by Mercedes following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Hamilton currently occupying the fifth and sixth spots in the drivers’ standings.
Steiner was posed the question of whether he would like the job, given his heritage, and gave his opinion on whether he thinks he would be able to bring them glory. The 60-year-old responded, “It’s always the circumstances. Just to go and replace Fred, I wouldn’t do it under the same circumstances.
“Fred is a friend, and he’s working hard. He’s trying to do a good job, but it’s very difficult. And if you know going in that you’re given the same set of cards as Fred, I don’t think I can do better.
“It needs to be a new set of cards, how we play it, and then I would entertain it. But obviously, I cannot demand from Ferrari, and Ferrari is not even looking for me. But anyway, no, that wouldn’t be me.”
Vassuer was handed an extension by Ferrari at the end of July in a deal which would see the Frenchman lead the Prancing Horse into the new 2026 F1 regulations.
Despite the lack of winning so far, key shareholders opted to keep Vasseur at the helm in order for stability to remain within the team.
Guenther Steiner is swapping four wheels for two after completing the takeover of a MotoGP team
Steiner was confirmed to be making a return to motorsport at the start of September, after his consortium’s acquisition of the Tech3 MotoGP racing outfit was completed.
He is expected to assume the role of CEO of the team next season, with his project partner Richard Coleman taking over team principal duties from founder Herve Poncharal.
MotoGP fans were far from happy with Steiner’s entry into the sport, with many believing he will bring more bad fortune to the MotoGP team, which hasn’t won a race in the premier class since 2020.
Steiner isn’t the only Formula 1 figure who has expressed interest in joining the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. Max Verstappen and Hamilton are also reportedly interested in having a stake in a MotoGP outfit.
Hamilton once secretly tested a MotoGP bike in a special event with Valentino Rossi in 2019. The seven-time world champion blew engineers away after lapping around four seconds off the pace of the professional riders.