20 hours Ago By Thomas Maher
Legal action taken by Guenther Steiner against his former employer, Haas F1 Team, has been dropped following the two sides reaching an agreement in mediation. Last year, former Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner lodged a lawsuit in North Carolina against the team, alleging that Haas owed him unpaid commissions over his final contract. Steiner was let go by Gene Haas, the owner of his eponymous F1 team, in January 2024, with the long-time team boss replaced by Ayao Komatsu for the F1 2024 season.
Steiner’s contract with the American squad was not extended by Haas as the two sides couldn’t agree on the best path forward for the outfit, with the performance level of the team remaining solidly in the midfield after Steiner’s eight seasons in charge. Shortly afterward, Steiner lodged a lawsuit in North Carolina, claiming that his “notoriety and personality”, which had shone forth in Netflix’s series Drive to Survive , had helped to create Haas’ “formidable brand”. Steiner has now dropped the lawsuit against Haas, with both sides reported to have reached an agreement following voluntary mediation.
According to CourtHouseNews.com, Steiner dismissed the case with prejudice, so he cannot refile, after parties spent more than 28 hours in mediation. Superior Court Judge Richard Gottlieb had been set to decide on the parties’ requests for judgment, but the two sides had an agreement before this was necessary.
The details of the agreement have not been made public, with heavily redacted documentation ensuring the financial details of the disagreement didn’t become public. “Haas Formula, LLC is pleased to announce that Guenther Steiner and Haas Formula, LLC have resolved their dispute,” a Haas spokesperson said, “that Guenther Steiner has withdrawn all allegations previously made in his lawsuit, and all claims asserted against Haas Formula, LLC have been dismissed with prejudice. “Both Mr.
Steiner and Haas Formula, LLC wish each other success in their future endeavours and will have no further comments on this matter.” Steiner, who has now become a very popular pundit and personality in the F1 media sphere, brought the claim to the courts seeking commission that he alleged had been held by the team since 2021. A claim from the filed lawsuit, which can be read here , said, “After years of accepting the benefits of Mr.
Steiner’s reputation, experience, and deep connections within the sport, Haas F1 cannot withhold from Mr. Steiner the benefits he has earned.” The court document claimed that the team had been selling merchandise using his image which, after the two parties had gone their separate ways and without any royalty payments going to Steiner, is also an act that the former team principal’s representatives believe should not be taking place.
“Haas F1 has no right to use Mr Steiner’s name, image, and likeness or to exploit them in any form of media after the termination of his employment,” the filing read. “Haas F1 has not compensated Mr. Steiner for its unauthorised use of his name, image, and likeness.
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