Guenther Steiner Is Open to Rookie Drivers Again After Oscar Piastri Sets the Bar High in His Debut Season

Haas was always one to believe in the potential of rookies and invest in them in hopes of getting big returns. However, the team recently moved away from the philosophy with Guenther Steiner, firing both his inexperienced drivers – Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin – and opting for a more stable line up.

While the team currently finds peace with the move, the performances of Oscar Piastri in 2023 might have led to a change of heart within the 58 year old. Advertisement Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/formularacers_/status/1724031441023951252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Advertisement Per a , Steiner believes investing in a rookie in 2025 might not be the worst idea, especially given how well Piastri drove throughout 2023.

The driver showed significant improvements with each passing race and often put his teammate, , under immense pressure to hold on to his position in the race. He even took the challenge to in Qatar, defeating the three time reigning world champion fair and square and winning the sprint race. A further two podiums saw secure 97 points and P9 in the drivers’ championship.

Meanwhile, Haas did not enjoy similar success with their rookies. and led the charge for the American team in 2021 but put in one of the most dismal performances in the history of the team, adding to their woes after a financial nightmare. The team finished with 0 points that season, leading Steiner to immediately replace Mazepin with .

The following season saw Schumacher lose out his seat to another experienced driver, . Not a lot changed for Haas and Guenther Steiner Fielding their most experienced driver lineup did not bring much joy to the camp, given the team finishing dead last in the constructors’ championship for the second time in three years.

With 12 points in 2023, Haas made no progress this season after showing signs of life with an eighth place finish in the 2022 season. Advertisement Loading embed tweet https://twitter.com/Planet_F1/status/1742969143194747265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Most of the team’s issues arose from a VF 23 that featured almost no major upgrades from the previous season.

The team put all its eggs in one basket with a huge upgrade for the United States Grand Prix (Austin). With a completely reworked body, the VF 23 had the same problem as its predecessor an unfulfilled appetite for the Pirelli tires. Haas failed to understand the root cause behind the same and continued suffering because of it.

Heading into the next season, believes his team can provide its drivers with a much better car capable of scoring points regularly. The drivers are also optimistic of a much better 2024, but it remains to be seen whether Haas can eliminate their tire degradation issue. Advertisement.