Günther Steiner is “not really surprised” that AlphaTauri threw out Nyck de Vries after just ten races and replaced him with Daniel Ricciardo. The Haas team boss sees his decision for Nico Hülkenberg and against Mick Schumacher confirmed by the latest Red Bull/AlphaTauri club, as he said in an exclusive interview with sport.de hints.
Formula 1 is much more competitive than it was a few years ago, and survival in sport is much more difficult for newcomers, said Steiner.
“At the moment it’s just difficult for rookies in Formula 1. You’re not given any time because the field is so close together. You have to fight with everything you have. AlphaTauri is behind us and of course wonders how they are there come out. Nyck didn’t score points immediately and then you’re just replaced. You react much faster if you don’t succeed. Then you try to change something with such actions,” Steiner commented on the Dutchman’s early departure.
In this “more competitive” environment, newcomers should simply not “allow themselves to make any mistakes,” said the South Tyrolean: “We saw that with Nyck: he made a few mistakes – and boom! – he’s gone.” Steiner said he did not want to judge the decision of AlphaTauri and the senior team Red Bull. That would be “completely wrong. AlphaTauri will have its reasons, I can live with them. You make your decision, I make mine.”
Formula 1: Steiner does not want to judge the AlphaTauri decision, but …
Nevertheless, Steiner indicated that he felt confirmed in his decision from the previous year by the AlphaTauri hammer. After the 2022 season, the Haas team boss sorted out the inexperienced Mick Schumacher, and hired veteran Nico Hülkenberg instead. “We also said last year that we have to do something to bring experience to the team and that’s why we brought in Nico Hulkenberg. Maybe someone saw that and thought: That works for them, then we’ll do it too so.”
Steiner expressly praised Hülkenberg: Although he knew how good he was, he “didn’t expect” that his pilot would perform so well after three years without a regular cockpit. The 58-year-old announced that Hülkenberg’s contract with the US racing team would be extended in the near future. Team owner Gene Haas is traveling from America and will be in Hungary and Belgium. “We won’t need long,” said Steiner, looking at the details of the contract.