02/12/2022
NEWS STORY
Haas team boss, Guenther Steiner has written a book about the team's roller-coaster 2022 season.
And what a season it was, beginning with the need to drop title sponsor Uralkali and driver Nikita Mazepin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the dropping of Mick Schumacher and the team's battle to claim eighth in the final standings… not forgetting that maiden pole in Brazil.
"I don't think I could have picked a more active year than this one in terms of documenting some of the many things a team principal has to go through in Formula 1," says the Italian in a press release issued by the book's publishers.
"I've never looked at keeping a diary before," he continues, "and while I like to look forward, it's been fun to look back over this year proofing this book again and reflecting on the many highs and lows we've encountered at Haas.
"Ultimately the highs stand out more, from Kevin Magnussen's points-scoring return in Bahrain to Mick Schumacher's first points at Silverstone, through to the team's first ever pole position in Brazil and our eighth place finish in the constructors' championship, it's been quite the season.
"It's the hard work of everyone on our team that has returned us to the fight in Formula 1 and I can't thank everyone who's a part of Haas enough for their efforts and dedication.
"I hope people enjoy this insight into our 2022 season and hopefully they'll come along for the ride in 2023 when we look to build on this year's successes," he concludes.
With the sport enjoying increasing popularity courtesy of Drive to Survive - a fact Steiner gives a huge nod to having titled his book Surviving to Drive - the Haas team boss has every right to get in on the act.
However, news of the book comes weeks after Ralf Schumacher claimed that Steiner is increasingly focussed on himself as a result of the popularity he has achieved through the Netflix show.
Indeed, in the wake of the decision to drop his nephew from the team, Schumacher claimed that Steiner was jealous of the attention Mick Schumacher was receiving.
"I believe that Guenther Steiner cannot deal with the fact that someone else is the focus at Haas," he told Sky Deutschland. "He's very, very happy to be the one front and centre.
"The interaction in the team and the openness of Steiner, I'll call it that politely, doesn't necessarily speak positively," he added. "Mick has shown that there is potential but no matter what he did, the team and Steiner were never satisfied with it. This behaviour cannot be explained with normal standards. It almost has to be something personal."
Steiner wasted no time in reacting.
"I do what I do and he can say whatever he wants," he told Sport Bild. "I'm not interested in answering that because I'm not a self-promoter. My decision was certainly not influenced by Ralf's behaviour."