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Guenther Steiner is a celebrated motor racing engineer, team principle, as well as author and Netflix personality. He is one of motor racing’s biggest and most renowned characters.
Fluent in Italian, German and English Guenther – in his 37 year career – progressed from engineer to Team Principal within Formula One.
Joining forces with Gene Haas, Guenther was the driving force behind the creation of the Haas Formula One team. Under his leadership, Haas became the first American constructor in 30 years to compete in Formula 1, making a respectable debut at the 2016 Australian Grand Prix with a sixth-place finish.
Guenther was known for his straightforward management style, colourful language, and ability to handle team dynamics under pressure. His candid and passionate personality received global recognition in 2019 in the Netflix series Drive to Survive.
The Netflix series covered Formula One World Championship, showing exclusive access to the drivers and team principals.
In 2023, Guenther published his book Driving to Survive, which became a The Times bestseller.
Contact Great British Speakers today to book Formula One team manager and face of Netflix’s Drive to Survive Guenther Steiner for your next event.
Guenther Steiner studied engineering in Italy but didn’t complete his degree; instead leaving for Belgium in 1986 to work as a mechanic. His motor racing career began as a mechanic in the World Rally Championship for Mazda Rally Team before progressing to assistant team manager for Top Run Srl, another World Rally team. He later became technical manager at Jolly Club.
Continuing in the world of rally racing, Guenther managed the Prodrive’s Allstar Rally team, winning the European Rally Championship in 1997. In 2000, he was promoted to director of engineering, where he worked under the Ford World Rally Team.
Guenther made the move to Formula One in 2001 when Ford’s official Formula One full-works team, Jaguar Racing, appointed him as their new team principal. In 2004, Guenther joined Red Bull Racing as technical operations director. As the team began to achieve success in Formula 1, Steiner was tasked with another challenge: establishing a NASCAR team for Red Bull in the United States.
Guenther had a meeting with Gene Haas in a steakhouse, a meeting that led to the creation of the Haas F1 Team, where Guenther was appointed team principal in 2014. Under his leadership, Haas became the first American constructor in 30 years to compete in Formula 1. In their debut race at the Australian Grand Prix in 2016, the team achieved a sixth-position finish, the first constructor overall since Toyota Racing in 2002, to score in their debut race. Haas completed the season with an 8th-place finish in the 2016 constructor standings and 29 points in total.
Guenther became a popular figure in Netflix’s Drive to Survive series which debuted in 2019. He appeared in all seasons of the show until 2024, when he parted company with Hass. His candid and often humorous personality made him a fan-favourite, contributing significantly to the popularity of the show and bringing a new level of visibility to Formula One.
Drive to Survive has been credited with increasing global interest in Formula One, largely due to the engaging and dramatic behind-the-scenes insights it offers, with Guenther being one of its standout personalities.
In 2023 Guenther published his first book Surviving to Drive, which went on to become The Times Bestseller. In the book he takes readers inside his Formula One team for the entirety of the 2022 season, giving an unobstructed view of what really takes place behind the scenes. He shares the thrilling rollercoaster of life at the heart of high stakes motor racing.
Packed full of twists and turns, from hiring and firing drivers, balancing books, pre-season preparations, the design, launch and testing of a car – and of course, the race calendar itself – this is the first time that an F1 team has allowed an acting team principal to tell the full story of a whole season.
Guenther is an entertaining and highly engaging speaker, loved for his sense of humour and straight-talking style. While he can take his audiences on a journey into the world of Formula One, giving insights into the high-pressured world of the prestigious sport. He however, goes much further than just talking about Formula One. He shares his experience on team motivation, coping with intense pressure and dealing with competition.
Invited to talk all over the world, Guenther tailors his talks to the needs of the organisation and is guaranteed to both inspire and entertain.