How Niki Lauda brought Haas team principal Guenther Steiner to F1
Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner recently shared how legendary driver Niki Lauda got him into the sport. Steiner has been in the game for quite some time now, but not many fans know how he entered it in the first place.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Steiner recalled how Niki Lauda's secretary called him up and arranged a meeting with him in Vienna. Lauda was already with Jaguar Racing F1 and wanted to appoint the Italian for the job. The Haas team boss said:
"It's very strange, I got into F1 because of Niki. I obviously knew who Niki was. The day he called me or his secretary called me up, asking that Niki Lauda wants to speak with me, for me, it was like, 'Sure, I'm going to speak with Niki Lauda.' I was working in Rally; was perfectly happy [with] what I was doing, but if somebody in my position says Niki Lauda wants to speak with you, it's something."
Niki Lauda & Gunther Steiner / Jaguar 2002 https://t.co/fex9L3C0qS
The Haas team boss further explained how difficult it is to get into Formula 1 without any major support or recommendations. Since Niki Lauda himself brought him in, Steiner's entry was extremely quick and easy. He concluded:
"I went to see him for dinner in Vienna one day and the next day he called me up, [saying], 'You're gonna work for me'....Getting into F1 is quite difficult. And as I said, I didn't try to get into F1, I was perfectly happy in rallying where I was. But being brought in by Niki Lauda to F1, your introduction is so much quicker than if you have to do it yourself."
Later on, Guenther Steiner built a strong relationship with Lauda as both worked at Jaguar Racing. Even after both of them left the team and went their own way, they were always connected. Steiner ultimately ended up with Haas, where he still plies his trade.
Although the Haas boss is a famously beloved character in the sport, his outfit has been unable to produce much success in motorsport's top flight. Ever since taking over at the American team, he's become well-acquainted with the back of the pack.
F1 has seen worse failures than Guenther Steiner at Haas
Formula 1 history is filled with colorful tales of misfortune, and the story of MasterCard Lola fits the bill.
The Lola Mark I (1958) found initial success on track, being the first-ever car to lap the Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in under a minute. But that wouldn't be a foreshadowing of their Formula 1 success 39 years later.
Lola did go on to build some of the most respected cars of the 20th century, be it for other teams. But partnered with MasterCard for the 1997 season, they ended up punching well above their weight. With a lack of time to develop a proper car, MasterCard Lola entered a challenger that couldn't even stay within 107% of pole in the season opener in Australia.
Additionally, a lack of funding (with MasterCard withdrawing as a sponsor) meant that Lola had to completely withdraw from the championship after only one race.