2023 F1 Spanish GP: Haas team principal Guenther Steiner summoned by FIA
The FIA has summoned Haas chief Guenther Steiner to address concerns of potential wrongdoing in criticizing race officials.
Prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, Steiner was vocal in his displeasure about Nico Hulkenberg receiving a penalty for a first-lap incident at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Guenther Steiner summoned to the stewards at 14:30 today for comments made during his media session on Thursday - relating to stewarding and calling for full-time paid professionals #F1 #SpanishGP
The Italian believes it was wrong for Hulkenberg to get a penalty for what he considered to be a non-incident when other drivers had gotten away with considerably harsher offenses.
Steiner went on to say that he felt it was appropriate to bring in experts because of the persistent lack of consistency in the stewards' decisions.
"F1 is one of the biggest sports in the world, and we still have laymen deciding on the fate of people who invest millions in their careers," he said. "And it's always a discussion because there's no consistency."
Steiner's comments didn't go over too well with the FIA, and as a result of a complaint from F1's media representative, he has now been asked to meet with the Spanish GP stewards before qualifying.
According to the governing body's statement, he was accused of violating three rules of the FIA's International Sporting Code, including:
- 12.2.1.c Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any Competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.
Steiner has further been charged with violating the 12.2.1.f and 12.2.1.k sporting codes.
This is not the first time the Haas team principal has been summoned by the FIA. He was penalized for using the phrase "stupid idiotic steward" in a radio outburst during the 2019 Russian Grand Prix, which led to Kevin Magnussen receiving a time penalty for disregarding track regulations.
Because Felix Holter was also on duty in Monaco, the FIA will temporarily replace him to maintain neutrality in the hearing in Spain.
Haas F1 could potentially partner with Alfa Romeo
Haas is open to a collaboration with Alfa Romeo in Formula One next year, but there have been no official conversations about a sponsorship arrangement so yet.
A conversation between Haas team principal Guenther Steiner and Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato at the Monaco Grand Prix fueled speculation that the team and manufacturer were planning a title sponsorship deal for 2024.
Alfa Romeo's existing championship agreement with Sauber expires at the conclusion of this season, and it has not yet decided if the partnership will continue in the future.