Marko suggests true reason for Steiner’s Haas exit

Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has suggested that GuentherSteiner was a “victim of his popularity” following his exit fromHaas. The US-owned Formula 1 squad announced last week that Steinerwould not return to his Team Principal role this year. The Italianhas been replaced by Ayao Komatsu, who has been promoted from theDirector of Engineering role. Steiner held the team boss positionever since Haas joined the grid in 2016 and became one of thesport's most recognisable figures, largely due to his presence inNetflix's Drive To Survive . However, Marko has stated that Steinerbecame too popular for team owner Gene Haas' liking, leading to thechange in leadership. "Let's put it this way: anyone who becomestoo popular through a documentary like Netflix tends to take off,”he told F1-Insider . “But if you fly too high too fast, you alsocrash faster. I've only heard that he wanted to convert hispopularity into shares in the team. “That no longer appealed toowner Gene Haas. It is also the case in our sport that the teamalways takes precedence over the individual. Steiner became avictim of his popularity." Ecclestone dishes criticism Ex-F1 bossBernie Ecclestone took aim at Steiner and Haas' lack of performancesince joining the grid. "There has never been a more unsuccessfulteam boss in Formula 1 who nevertheless became a superstar thanksto a US documentary,” Ecclestone said. “In my day, when onlyperformance counted, that never happened." Haas finished at thebottom of the Constructors' Championship twice in the last threeyears, leaving Gene Haas to admit that he was “embarrassed” by thesquad's performance . Steiner's former peer Franz Tost, who retiredfrom F1 at the end of last year after 18 years at the helm of ToroRosso/AlphaTauri, offered a defence to the ousted Haas man. “I goton very well with Guenther, both personally and professionally,” hesaid. “He was an expert on our sport. That's all I want to say.“The pressure in Formula 1 is brutal. If a further development of acar doesn't work in the middle of the season, people are lookingfor someone to blame."