The former Haas team principal is a true fan favourite in the Formula One world and has become one of the biggest names in recent years.

He's come to be known as a loveable leader that pulls no punches in the paddocks and tells it exactly how he sees it, and his unique personality helped make Netflix's 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' an even more entertaining watch.

Ahead of Spectate's exclusive live meet and greet with Guenther Steiner at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December this year, here are some of the reasons why we love him so much.

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He Means Business

If there's one person in Formula One that you don't want to get on the wrong side of, it's Guenther Steiner. His management style is direct, and he's had some fiery clashes with his drivers over the years.

Kevin Magnussen learnt this the hard way when, after a dressing down from Guenther at the 2019 British Grand Prix, he closed his office door with a little too much enthusiasm and gave us the infamous door smash scene on 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive'.

He's a Natural Comedian

Whether he means to or not, Guenther has got a talent for making his audience smile. He's probably one of the funniest men in Formula One and we absolutely love him for it. His cheeky tone comes through on camera and we love his quick quips and watching him banter with his crew.

The timing of his strong language is everything, and it normally comes thick and fast. We've become so used to him swearing left, right, and centre that even the F1 reporters misheard him at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix when he said he would have 'hugged' the whole paddock for an extra two points...

We Love a Trier

It's not often that Guenther lets his positivity slip. We've seen time and time again when the chips are down and everything has gone wrong for Haas, he's the first to dust himself off and try to diagnose the team's shortcomings.

His relationship with F1 boss Gene Haas is now a complicated one, but at its best was fuelled by the mutual desire to win. It was Guenther's phrasing to Gene of looking like 'rock stars' had they not had double DNFs (did not finish) due to tyre changing issues in the 2018 Australian Grand Prix that really showed us his passion to succeed.

He's Genuine

It's not often somebody so high up in competitive sports opens themselves up to the cameras quite like Guenther Steiner. In fact, we're not sure we can think of anybody who is more themselves than him with a cameraman in their face.

He bears all for the camera and you can guarantee he's going to be his honest self in every interview. More recently, he's made a fantastic commentator and pundit after leaving Haas and we've loved hearing his genius insight on race days. This clip of him at the Bahrain 2024 Grand Prix shows just how much of a coup he is for the broadcasters.

He's Had a Fantastic Career

At 59 years old, Guenther is an experienced head with a 38-year career in Motorsport spanning Rally, NASCAR and of course Formula One. He's been in the Formula One game since 2001 and has worked with Jaguar, Red Bull and Haas F1 teams -he's always got a tale to tell.

With so many career highlights to quiz him on, you can meet Guenther Steiner in person with our incredible meet and greet opportunity at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December this year — this legend is not to be missed.

So, who is Guenther Steiner?

A butcher's boy from Bolzano, Italy, Guenther Steiner started his successful career in Motorsport as a mechanic in Belgium for Mazda Rally Team Europe in 1986. After years of hard work, he eventually became Director of Engineering for the M-Sport team who operated the Ford Rally programme with legendary rally driver Colin McRae who Guenther developed a deep bond with.

His entry into Formula One came 15 years into his career in 2001 when he was head-hunted by a struggling Jaguar Racing team. He became Managing Director under team principal Niki Lauda and worked alongside Irish racing driver Eddie Irvine, but a massive overhaul of the team came a year later in 2002 which saw Steiner take gardening leave. 

A few years later, after Jaguar Racing was bought out by Red Bull in 2005, Guenther was re-hired as Technical Operations Director where he and team principal Christian Horner pushed the team on with improved performances. But it wasn't to be a long-term role - Red Bull's poaching of McClaren's championship-winning Technical Director Adrian Newey a year later led Steiner to consider moving to NASCAR, and in 2006 he was transferred to run the Red Bull NASCAR team in Mooresville, North Carolina where he still lives today.

Guenther always had the idea of running a customer F1 team and after convincing Gene Haas to back his plan and provide the budget, he was appointed team principal of the newly formed Haas F1 team in 2014. With their first entry in the 2015 season, Guenther's Haas team grew year on year and eventually peaked in 2018 when they finished 5th in the Manufacturers Championship. He became a massive focus of Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' docuseries in his time at Haas, and became a well-loved character in F1. If you'd like to be part of it and experience the smell of burning rubber as the world's best racers tear up the track, check out our F1 Holidays.

Why did Guenther Steiner leave Haas F1 Team?

As rival teams' budgets increased, the Haas customer car model started to struggle and nearly had to cease operations in 2020 when the Covid-19 Pandemic waved a red flag on Formula One competitions. Guenther left Haas as he felt Gene Haas wasn't investing enough into the team's budget to allow them to challenge for race wins. Haas is currently the smallest F1 team and doesn't have its own factory. Instead, it uses a number of satellite offices in Italy, England and USA with Italian car manufacturer Dallara supplying the team's chassis every year.

What is Guenther Steiner doing now?

After exploding into stardom on 'Drive to Survive', Guenther has become a popular figure in the paddock and now provides regular expert commentary for a range of broadcasters and is the new figurehead of the Miami Grand Prix. He has also released a No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling book aptly named 'Surviving to Drive', and has been on a UK tour with a live show which has been a massive hit up and down the country for F1 fans.

How can I meet Guenther Steiner?

Spectate guests will have the exclusive opportunity to meet Guenther Steiner at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024. Fans will be able to ask Guenther questions about his career, get pictures, and have their books signed by the man himself.

To learn more about our exclusive Guenther Steiner meet and greet, see our personalised Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Holiday Packages.