Guenther Steiner was one of the strong personalities on the Formula One track that helped transform Drive to Survive into a roaring success of a reality TV show for Netflix, before his dismissal from Team Haas after ten years at the helm.
Swearing in his strong Italian accent was an integral part of Steiner’s forthright personality that endeared him to fans of the show worldwide, and he was critical about new rules that mean drivers are fined for swearing in their cars, something they have always done since the sport began, but something that has incurred greater scrutiny since the Drive to Survive cameras and microphones began picking up every word and gesture by drivers and paddock personnel.
Steiner told Daily Mail Sports:
‘It’s ludicrous. A sport without emotion isn’t a sport. As long as you don’t hurt anyone, it’s fine and it should have been dealt with by just telling the drivers ‘hey guys, tone it down a notch’ instead of making such a big deal out of it.”
Despite his dismissal from Haas, Steiner – who has parlayed his TV popularity into trackside punditry duties, two bestselling memoirs and a UK tour regaling audiences with stories from his career – said he believed the sport’s future was secure, thanks to the hit reality TV show that filmed his dismissal.
He said: “I think it’s quite entertaining what’s happened to my character. I’m happy to laugh at myself and give people enjoyment because I’ve never taken myself too seriously. A sport can’t have anything better than a young audience because it means the future is safe and a lot of that is down to Drive to Survive.”
Steiner was one of the breakout stars of series 1, when few of the major Formula One teams wanted to be involved or featured, so producers focused on mid-grid teams who were keen for coverage. He left as a full-time talking head at the end of series 7 following his firing by Haas. He was interviewed again for season 8 (which dropped last month) but featured much more sparingly.