F1 team boss passes on Verstappen: 'Even with Max we wouldn't win'

Can a great driver win in an inferior car? That is a frequentlyasked question in the Formula 1 world. Max Verstappen had a strongRed Bull car at his disposal in 2023, but would the Dutchman havebeen on the podium at all once if he had to drive a Haas? TheAmerican team's team boss, Guenther Steiner, doesn't think so andwouldn't even take on the Dutchman if he could make a free transferto the team. “I would choose Adrian Newey because I'm sure he canbuild a winning car,” Steiner told The Athletic . "Even if you putVerstappen in our car, we wouldn't win. I think Nico Hulkenberg andKevin Magnussen can win races if we had a Red Bull." Steiner onceworked for Red Bull Prior to their takeover of the Jaguar F1 teamin 2004, Steiner worked for them in their technical operations.Following a management shakeup in 2002, he was put on gardeningleave. In February 2005 he joined Red Bull Racing as a technicaloperations director, managing a group of 350 people with a budgetin excess of $200 million. Once the Red Bull F1 project startedmoving in a positive direction, Steiner was shifted to their NASCARCup Series team in North Carolina. It's a period he proudly looksback on, despite the fact that the NASCAR team no longer exists."We did it to add a lot of technology and engineers to the sport. Anumber of people recognized that after I left. You don't have toget any credits. I think we did a lot of what is now normal in theNASCAR." Steiner eventually left Red Bull permanently in 2008: "Wedisagreed on the future. I had a plan, but they disagreed withthat. That's why we separated, it's that simple."