The 'Netflix generation' has made F1 the spectacle it is today, feels Haas team principal Guenther Steiner
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner claims Netflix's popular docuseries 'Drive to Survive' has made F1 into the spectacle it is today. The Italian boss features on the show and has gotten quite popular for his frequent offensive comments.
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'Drive to Survive' is set to return for a fifth season and is sure to feature Steiner and Co. for their often hilarious comments on events. The American team started off strong in 2022 but failed to keep their form up as the season progressed.
However, the Steiner-led team managed to finish P8 in the constructors' championship - two places better than the year before.
Haas' Guenther Steiner has undoubtedly become one of the most sought-after personalities on the grid after the Netflix docuseries aired, with his team's popularity going up as well.
In a recent interview with AMuS, the Haas boss spoke about the recent boom the sport is experiencing, partly due to the wildly popular Netflix show. He said:
"They got lucky with this Netflix series: Drive to Survive. Which goes down well with young people because, if you look now, there are so many young people who do Formula 1. My name is Netflix generation, they only know Formula 1 since Netflix pretends they don't care.
"They didn't want the history like the real ones. Like us two old men who know history and where it comes from. All the names, they don't know it. They see it as a spectacle".
Guenther Steiner reveals Haas' goals for 2023 F1 season
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Haas team boss Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, hopes his team can regularly fight for points in 2023 and maybe even get on the podium one day.
After two dismal years (2020 and 2021), Steiner's team made a partial comeback in 2022. The American outfit had its most successful season since 2018, finishing eighth in the constructors' standings.
Haas started the season with a bang, with Kevin Magnussen finishing P5 in the season opener in Bahrain. Since then, however, the team lost form and failed to score points regularly. Haas were generally unable to keep up with other teams in terms of development, showcasing their biggest weaknesses in the sport.
Magnussen then shocked the world by taking his and his team's first F1 pole position at the 2022 Brazilian GP. In a similar spirit, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner claims the team plans on going even further in 2023.
Steiner was quoted as saying by Ravenna Today:
"We had two difficult years with the pandemic, but we got back on our feet. The season we just finished went well, but it could have been better. We can consider it a year of growth. This year Kevin [Magnussen] gave us a pole position.
"In 2023, we want to grow even more, make another leap in quality in the standings, always fight for points and one day get on the podium. Big goals are needed to achieve them and grow."
It remains to be seen how successful the Magnussen-Hulkenberg combination will be in 2023 and if the team can build on the decent year they had in 2022.