The 58-year-old Italian has been replaced by the team’♏s former director of engineering, Ayao Komatsu, just over a month before the start o🍌f th🎀e 2024 F1 season. 

Steiner’s shock dep🏅arture followed a difficult and disappointing campaign for Haas, who only scored 12 points across 22 races in 2023 and slumped to last place in the constructors’ championship. 

While Haas mad🐻e it clear that was not directly Steiner’s fault, the American outfit’s dismal lack of competitiveness ultimately swayed the decision not to extend his contract, which expired at the end of🃏 2023. 

“It came down to performance,” Haas told F1.com. “Here we are in our eighth year, ဣover 160 races – we have never had a podium. The last co༒uple of years, we’ve been 10th or ninth.

“I’m not sitting here saying it’s Gu🌳enther’s fault, or anything like that, but it just seems like this was an appropriate time to make a change and try a different direction, because it doesn’t seem like continuing with what we had is really g🦹oing to work.”

Haas added: “It is, I like Guenther, he’s a really nice 🗹person, a really good personality. We had a tough end to the year. I don’t understand that, I really don’t. 

“Those are good questions to ask Guenther, what went wrong. At the end of the day,♓ it’s about performance. I have no interest in being 10th anymore.”

Haas believes his team should be capable of finishing much higher 🌌in the championship. 

“We need to do better,” he says. “It’s easier to keep sponsors and attract sponsors if we’re a mid-pack team and not a dead last team. That’s my perspective on 𒉰it. 

“At the same time, if we can run a little faster,𒊎 we’ll get more FOM [🐠Formula One Management] money, which will make life a bit easier.

“🏅It’s really all about winning. We have a great team, we have great engines, we have really great drivers. There’s no reason why we are 10th. I can’t understand how we can be with all the equipment and people we have.”