Guenther Steiner is suing his former Haas F1 team, alleging that the racing team breached its contract with the former team principal by refusing to pay commissions he says he is owed from his final employment agreement. Additionally, the suit contends that despite his contract not being renewed, Haas continues to sell merchandise with Steiner’s likeness without proper compensation.
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In the lawsuit, filed in Mecklenburg, N.C. on Tuesday, Steiner alleges he is owed unpaid commissions from 2021 to 2023, violating his final employment agreement with the team, which ran from Jan. 1, 2021, until Dec. 31, 2023. Haas and Steiner mutually agreed not to renew the team principal’s contract during the offseason.
What the commissions are for, and the amount Steiner alleges he is owed, is unclear. Many details of the lawsuit were redacted after Steiner’s attorneys filed a motion asking for portions to be sealed. The lawsuit includes claims for relief for breach of contract, the North Carolina Wage and Hour Act and for unauthorized use of likeness.
“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,” Steiner’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
Haas declined to comment Wednesday.
In addition to the allegations of unpaid commissions, Steiner accused Haas of using his name, image and likeness “in its promotional materials and merchandise” after ending his employment, and alleges he is owed royalties for its unauthorized use.
Steiner, 59, led Haas as team principal from its beginning in 2014, two years before it joined the F1 grid in 2016. He became a fairly popular figure during Netflix’s docuseries, “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.” In the lawsuit, Steiner’s attorneys argue Haas benefitted from that, writing, “this exposure was extremely valuable to the upstart racing team, particularly as it looked for additional revenue streams to support itself in the notoriously expensive Formula 1 environment.”
Since his Haas chapter came to a close, Steiner has remained busy and still is part of the F1 paddock. He is a pundit for RTL, a German TV channel, and is an ambassador for this week’s Miami Grand Prix. A follow-up to his best-selling book is in the works.
Required reading
- Guenther Steiner relishes F1 life post-Haas: ‘Being free is always fun’
- The unexpected, covert birth of Haas: F1’s original, American team
(Photo: Dan Istitene / Getty Images)
