The former Haas boss considers that Honda and the British team must solve their shortcomings on their own, without the intervention of the governing body. He recalls that Cadillac, with many more difficulties and without points, doesn't receive help either and nobody questions it.
Günther Steiner has once again played the sniper in the paddock. The former Haas boss, known for his unfiltered sincerity, has harshly criticized the possibility that the FIA might intervene to help Aston Martin and Honda overcome their performance problems. The statements of Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing body, showing his willingness to modify the regulations to please Fernando Alonso and facilitate the Asturian's continuity, have generated a debate that Steiner has settled with his usual bluntness.
"Nobody deserves to be there or to be anywhere, not just in Formula 1. You have to work to be there, you have to want to be there, but not deserve it. What does 'deserve' mean? In my opinion nobody deserves anything in a sport, in life it's different. Saying that Aston Martin has to solve this, that's their problem. it's not a problem of the federation" Steiner declared, flatly rejecting any external intervention.
The context of the debate is well known: Honda, which returned to Formula 1 as a power unit supplier associated with Aston Martin, is still very far from the performance of its direct rivals, despite the aerodynamic improvements introduced by Adrian Newey in the AMR26, the lack of power of the Japanese engine weighs down the team on circuits where top speed is decisive. Alonso, who has shown his frustration on several occasions, is reconsidering his future for 2027 and Ben Sulayem has made it clear that he will do everything possible to retain him.
The FIA's proposal has found backing in Mercedes and Red Bull, whose leaders have expressed their desire to see all brands competing on equal terms, however Williams already expressed its outright rejection of any regulatory change mid-season and now Steiner joins that stance with an additional argument: the unequal treatment that helping Aston Martin would entail while other teams like Cadillac, face much greater difficulties without receiving any kind of assistance.
"What should Cadillac say? 'Oh, we deserve to be better, we need some help'. By the way they need a lot of help, much more than Aston Martin because Aston Martin can help itself and it will" Steiner sentenced. The former leader recalled that Cadillac in its debut season, has not scored a single point with Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas, and that its reliability and performance problems are much more serious than those of Aston Martin.
Steiner's argument is solid from a competitive perspective, Formula 1 is a sport of merits where each team must work to overcome its limitations. The FIA's intervention to favor a specific team would set a dangerous precedent and could generate comparative grievances among the teams; Honda's recent history in the category, with its failed partnership with McLaren, already demonstrated that engine problems are not solved with regulatory changes, but with work, investment and time.
Steiner, who led Haas for eight seasons, knows well the difficulties of competing with limited resources, his stance reflects the philosophy of someone who has had to earn every tenth on track, without external help.
For the Italian the solution to Aston Martin and Honda's problems lies in their own effort, not in the intervention of the regulatory body. The ball is now in the FIA's court, which must decide whether to maintain its intention to help or if on the contrary, it listens to voices like Steiner's and lets each team solve its problems on its own.
