Guenther Steiner names which Haas driver had ‘not enough good days’ while he was team principal

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Haas have been a strong midfield runner during their best times in Formula 1, but have also suffered the ignominy of finishing a season without scoring a point.

Guenther Steiner was at the helm of Haas for every campaign up until the start of 2024 when he was replaced by Ayao Komatsu.

The American team – who also have a UK base in Banbury – have the smallest pool of staff members to call upon and as a result, any campaign where they’re not a backmarker has to be seen as a success.

It also means that when it comes to the driver’s market, Haas have to be very careful when they decide who to run in their cars.

Steiner has disagreed with Haas’s driver line-up for 2025 after losing Nico Hulkenberg to Sauber and deciding not to continue with Kevin Magnussen.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship

Both drivers are established F1 stars and have plenty of strengths that Haas can call upon.

Esteban Ocon will be the experienced head of the team next year alongside exciting rookie Oliver Bearman.

Steiner was speaking on the Beyond The Grid Podcast about the drivers he had worked with over the years in Formula 1.

Although the likes of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin underperformed when given their chances, others didn’t always live up to their potential.

Romain Grosjean is a driver who fits into that category for Steiner, who believed at times he was ‘second to none’ but didn’t reach those levels as often as he would have liked.

Grosjean’s F1 career was defined by fantastic individual performances and several terrifying crashes.

Fernando Alonso and Grosjean collided at Spa and the Frenchman was handed a one-race ban as a result, but the images of him emerging from the flames of his burning car at his final race in Bahrain is what sticks in the memory for so many F1 fans.

Guenther Steiner says Romain Grosjean wasn’t always at his best for Haas

Asked who the fastest driver was that he worked with at Haas, Steiner said: “Very, very difficult to say.

“I mean, I would say Romain on a good day, he’s as fast as anybody, but then they’re not enough good days.

“And I discussed that openly with him as well. I’m not saying Romain on a good day, there is nobody out there who can beat you, but it’s the consistency which is missing.

“I would say Nico [Hulkenberg], when he came back, he surprised me how quick he was.

READ MORE: 23-year-old F1 driver told he has a ‘hint’ of being like Romain Grosjean right now

“I knew he was quick, otherwise he wouldn’t have taken him, obviously. But I was surprised how quick he was, that surprised me.

“So now it would be nice to know him compared with another very, very good driver in a team to see how actually good he is because you always need a reference to say how good somebody is.

“And if you haven’t got the same reference, it’s a feeling. It’s not factual. You know, as I said, Romain on a good day is second to none.”

Nico Hulkenberg really excited about Haas’s future despite leaving in 2025

Haas are a team on the rise this season having navigated the tricky development cycle of this generation of Formula 1 cars.

While teams around them such as Aston Martin and RB have struggled to implement their updates effectively, Haas have made steady progress with Hulkenberg benefitting the most.

The German continues to regularly reach Q3 and is in a battle with Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda to finish in the top ten of the Drivers’ Championship.

Hulkenberg has shared why he’s excited about Haas’s future despite deciding to join Sauber in 2025.

Grosjean helped Haas record their best Constructors’ Championship finish in 2018 alongside Magnussen when they finished fifth in the standings.

If Komatsu can get the most out of his two new drivers and continue their impressive development path, there’s no reason why they can’t match that achievement next year.