Steiner Hails German Driver as Formula 1’s Finest

Former Haas team president Guenther Steiner has called Nico Hulkenberg one of the best drivers in Formula 1. Hulkenberg returned to the sport with Haas last year, partnering Kevin Magnussen. The German impressed everyone, especially with his performances in the qualifying rounds. One of his most memorable showings was in Austria, where he qualified in P2 behind Max Verstappen.

Impressed by his former pupil’s results, Steiner claimed that Hulkenberg was one of the sport’s best drivers. He compared both Haas drivers and said: “I think they are two good drivers. Nico obviously showed in qualifying last year that he is one of the best in Formula 1. If you give Kevin a good car and he starts to fight, he will be there.

Haas F1 team boss Ayao Komatsu has stated that he does not intend to follow in the footsteps of his pioneer Guenther Steiner and plans not to be like Steiner while managing America’s only team. Steiner was a lively character due to his popularity in the paddock following his appearance in the Netflix series Drive to Survive. He was known for his honest approach both on and off the track.

In a statement to F1.com, Komatsu said it respected Steiner but did not intend to be like him. “Of course, I’m not trying to be Guenther Steiner! He’s a very different person. We got along well, to be honest. We respect each other, we respect our positions and job roles at work and outside of work,” he said. “We usually went out for dinner on race weekends – again, not to talk about work, because we got along well. But I’m not here to be a copy of Guenther Steiner.”
“He’s a very different character, as you know, and he has very different strengths and weaknesses to me. I’m not trying to be anyone else, and Gene knows that, and if Gene Guenther wanted someone to replace Steiner, he would appoint someone else. So I think Gene has a different character.” I understand that you want something and instead of trying to be someone else