Former Haas Formula 1 team principal Guenther Steiner has revealed that he has never watched a single episode of Netflix's Drive To Survive, despite the show catapulting him to global celebrity status. The 61-year-old Italian, who helped found Haas F1 Team in 2016 alongside Gene Haas, became an unlikely star of the fly-on-the-wall documentary series thanks to his colourful language and hilarious one-liners.
Steiner's Rise to Fame
Steiner's career in motorsport spans decades, including roles as managing director of Jaguar Racing and technical operations director of Red Bull Racing. However, it was his appearances on Drive To Survive that made him a household name among casual F1 fans. Since leaving Haas in 2023, Steiner has taken on the role of CEO of Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP team.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star Sport via 247bet, Steiner admitted: "You know, I never watched it back. I never watched it. When they started to film, obviously, I was not aware of what would come out of it. I was completely fine with it, of course, whatever it was going to be. If it is good, fine. If it is bad, fine. I don't really care. And that's what happened."
Indifferent to Fame
Steiner expressed surprise at his newfound recognition, stating he never sought fame. "The fame which came out of it, I mean, there are worse things to happen to a person than that. But the strange thing is, I didn't do something special to get famous. You know, a lot of people work hard to get famous. That's what they want to be. I never wanted to be famous. I wanted to do my job. And all of a sudden, I get well recognised. I wouldn't call myself famous, but I get well recognised, you know, and I just have to deal with it."
Despite his indifference, Steiner remains grateful to fans. "I always try to give the people what they want, because without them, I wouldn't be able to make the life I've got, you know, and I respect it. And I always try to show that. So if somebody asks me for a picture, I would say 98% of the time, I say yes. I will only say no when I have to catch a plane or something, when something busy is happening, and I genuinely just cannot do it."
Iconic Door-Slamming Moment
One of the most memorable moments from Steiner's Drive To Survive appearances came after the 2019 British Grand Prix, when driver Kevin Magnussen slammed and punched Steiner's office door in frustration after being reprimanded for a first-lap collision with teammate Romain Grosjean. Reflecting on his relationship with Magnussen, whom he signed twice for Haas, Steiner said: "I enjoyed the relationship with him, as I did with Romain, with Nico Hulkenberg, and with all the drivers we had. I actually enjoyed it. But, no, Kevin never apologised to give you that answer. Kevin was far too proud to apologise for something like that, you know. But I don't worry about it, because that's Kevin Magnussen for you."
