F1: Steiner gives lip service about hiring an American driver

It’s been known for a long time that Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner looks down his nose at American drivers, and it would be a cold day in hell before he ever hired one.

However, now that Americans own F1, and F1 will soon have two races in the USA, he is getting pressure, so he is giving everyone lip service just to placate them.

Steiner has revealed to speaking with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to “make a plan” for the future arrival of an American driver in the sport.

Haas, the only American-owned team on the grid, has never fielded a driver from the country during its six seasons in F1.

In fact, the last American driver to contest a grand prix was Alexander Rossi, who contested five races with Marussia in 2015. After switching to IndyCar for 2016, he won the 2016 Indianapolis 500 as a rookie.

Having won plenty of races in the F1 ladder series in Europe, Alexander Rossi (USA) drove 5 races Manor Marussia F1 Team. He was ready to be a full time F1 driver, but no one gave him a chance unless he brought a truckload of money to buy his ride, which he did not have. Surely billionaire Gene Haas could have given him a seat for minimal money, but Steiner was running the team. So, Rossi turned to IndyCar, and there is no young American today is anywhere near the level Rossi had reached. F1’s opportunity for an American driver was blown.

Asked if he had been in contact with Domenicali, Steiner answered: “Formula 1 would like an American driver, we would like one [lip service].

“At the moment, obviously, they are looking into it. There is one thing out there, the Super License, which not many have got.

“But for sure, we are always looking. I spoke with Stefano about it, what could be done, what couldn’t be done, and we tried to make a plan for the future.

“It needs to be something not immediate because you cannot do anything to get somebody in because of the Super License, but obviously, it will come.

“We just need to be patient and at some stage…there are a few guys in Formula 3 that look promising. Let’s see what can be done.”

But as we know, when it finally comes down to it, it will never happen at Haas as long as Steiner is in charge. There will be one excuse or another.

And why does an American driver have to only drive for back-of-the-grid Haas? Talk about ruining ones career.

Why won’t some of the top teams give an American a shot?

Why? Because there is an inherent anti-American bias (call it a cancer) that to this day, permeates the F1 paddock – all started by another American hater, Bernie Ecclestone.

There’s still no cure for cancer, even in F1.

Mark C. reporting for AutoRacing1.com