F1 star Guenther Steiner loves unemployed life, and his new role with F1 Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Guenther Steiner is still the most popular figure in Formula One, even though he’s no longer a team manager in the auto racing sport. 

He’s simply known as Guenther around the world by race fans — on a one-name basis just like championship drivers Lewis (Hamilton) and Max (Verstappen) — thanks to his lovable, straightforward, show-stealing personality which shined on the Netflix series “Drive To Survive.” 

So, what do we call this stage in Steiner’s career? Don’t call it retirement just yet. 

“No, no. I’m unemployed,” Steiner says with a laugh during an interview Thursday in his new role as race ambassador for the Miami Grand Prix, held May 3-5 at the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium. 

“I’m unemployed. I’m unemployed. I’m unemployed.” 

Steiner is enjoying life after being American team Haas principal since 2016, being recognized by fans in public, while missing the adrenaline he experienced during F1 race weekends. 

His mission as Miami Grand Prix race ambassador is to attract more fans to the race, which enters its third year behind the vision of Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and CEO Tom Garfinkel. 

Steiner says he would be open to another chance at being a F1 boss, but the opportunity has to be just right for him to pursue. He also says he should have left F1 a year earlier with hindsight since his Haas departure. 

Here’s more from Steiner’s interview with USA TODAY Sports on Thursday: 

Will Guenther still be on Netflix despite not being a F1 boss? 

Don’t worry Guenther fans: Even though he’s no longer a F1 team owner, principal or driver typically featured on “Drive To Survive,” he’ll still be on the show next season. 

Netflix came in February to film at Steiner's house, and they filmed him in Bahrain in his first day on the job at a TV analyst.

“So, they’re still around. … but you never know what they show," Steiner said. "You cannot influence and I don’t really care. I’m not trying to say put me on [the show] or not. They do anyway what they need to do to make them successful — not for me. For them, it’s about them, not about me.” 

How has Guenther adjusted to F1 fame from 'Drive To Survive'?

“It doesn't affect me a lot because I don't change," Steiner said. "It's a strange thing, everybody thinks because people know you, you think you're famous. Obviously when I go out, I’m more recognized. I don’t misbehave anyway normally. …

“When you're at an airport, you just know people look at you. But otherwise, my daily life, or my life in general, has not changed. I take my daughter to school in the morning now, which is very happy. If I can, I pick her up. But I do the same things like before. I'm not different.” 

Guenther Steiner says he should have left F1 sooner

“I feel very good. When you're on the hamster wheel, you're not realizing how difficult it is actually to do what you should be doing. You cannot do it, but you still try to do it,” Steiner said of his hindsight after leaving Haas. 

“I made a comment a few weeks ago, I should have left a year before. I should have left because I couldn't see what my vision was, and in the end if you lead something, you need to have your vision and to believe in it. … I should have realized that more, but while you're on that treadmill, you know, you keep on going you want to have success.” 

Haas, which doesn’t boast the financial resources other F1 teams such as Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes, also played a factor in his demise. 

“I could not do it because I don't have the backing, the financial backing to do it,” Steiner added. “We can always squeeze every little drop of juice out of the lemon, but it's just not enough in it. You can squeeze and squeeze, but there's not enough in it.” 

What does Guenther miss about being a F1 boss? 

“The element of going out to qualify and going out to race. That is why I was forced to go into racing,” Steiner said. 

“That's the biggest, but I'm not sickly missing it, you know? It's not like that I feel bad about that. But that adrenaline, you know, to compete. That is the biggest element I miss.” 

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Would Guenther be open to being F1 boss again? 

“If the opportunity is there... I need to have the possibility to make the next step because just to fight in the midfield or not to be last, I've done that. I've done that long enough. I'm done with that,” Steiner said. 

“If there is a possibility to do something bigger and better. It needs to be a project, more than a job. It needs to be a project. That's what I call it, and I'm open to speak. Otherwise, I'm happy.”