Haas F1 team started off the year with a fantastic pre-season performance. But since the first race of the season, the American outfit has suffered losses due to weird first lap incidents.

Save for Kevin Magnussen’s sixth-place finish at Barcelona, the outfit has dropped well below its capability. Magnussen’s teammate Romain Grosjean is having a tough year due to errors in judgement at Azerbaijan and Spain.

But Günther Steiner is a patient man. Despite the amount of harsh criticism directed towards the team and especially towards Grosjean, the Italian engineer and team boss is confident the outfit will improve.

Speaking with Motorsport-Total.com, Steiner said: “We still have 15 races, and there are more positive than negative things,”

“So why should I be worried th at they’d be better? because they have a bigger budget, I’m confident our boys can stay competitive.”

From Mechanic to Team Boss

Steiner started off as a mechanic in motorsports and now manages an F1 team. As someone who has seen many ups & downs in Formula 1, Steiner is sure they will bounce back.

“You know, I have been with different tasks for 30 years I’ve never been a team boss before Haas, but I’ve already done all the jobs that a team boss brings together,” the 53-year-old told the German site.

Steiner’s first stint was in the Mazda rally team as a mechanic in the 1980s. He then moved to the Italian team Top Run and worked his way up to deputy team manager. The Italian then went on to set up a new design and engineering department for Ford’s M-Sport. In 2002, he moved to Jaguar team in F1 to work for team boss Niki Lauda.

“Yes, I already have an advantage from my experience – I could do almost any job the guys in the team have – almost anyone,” he says with a laugh. After a stint as the technical director of Red Bull in Formula 1, the Italian engineer moved to the US in 2006, where he was supposed to raise a NASCAR racing team. Realising his vast experience in many roles, Gene Haas finally brought him in on board as the team principal for his Formula One project.

“After all, I was already in charge of logistics, even co-piloting the rally, doing everything so you learn, it’s just 30 years of experience – that’s a long time,” he said.

Steiner even qualified as a driver – but Grosjean, whom Steiner fiercely defended against all criticism – need not worry about being replaced by his own boss. “No, driver’s role would not be for me, because it would be dangerous,” the Haas team principal laughed.