Guenther Steiner was one of many sturdy personalities on the System One observe that helped rework Drive to Survive right into a roaring success of a actuality TV present for Netflix, earlier than his dismissal from Workforce Haas after ten years on the helm.
Swearing in his sturdy Italian accent was an integral a part of Steiner’s forthright character that endeared him to followers of the present worldwide, and he was crucial about new guidelines that imply drivers are fined for swearing of their vehicles, one thing they’ve all the time achieved for the reason that sport started, however one thing that has incurred larger scrutiny for the reason that Drive to Survive cameras and microphones started choosing up each phrase and gesture by drivers and paddock personnel.
Steiner instructed Day by day Mail Sports activities:
‘It’s ludicrous. A sport with out emotion isn’t a sport. So long as you don’t damage anybody, it’s tremendous and it ought to have been handled by simply telling the drivers ‘hey guys, tone it down a notch’ as a substitute of constructing such a giant deal out of it.”
Regardless of his dismissal from Haas, Steiner – who has parlayed his TV recognition into trackside punditry duties, two bestselling memoirs and a UK tour regaling audiences with tales from his profession – stated he believed the game’s future was safe, due to the hit actuality TV present that filmed his dismissal.
He stated: “I believe it’s fairly entertaining what’s occurred to my character. I’m blissful to snigger at myself and provides individuals enjoyment as a result of I’ve by no means taken myself too severely. A sport can’t have something higher than a younger viewers as a result of it means the longer term is secure and lots of that’s all the way down to Drive to Survive.”
Steiner was one of many breakout stars of sequence 1, when few of the main System One groups needed to be concerned or featured, so producers targeted on mid-grid groups who have been eager for protection. He left as a full-time speaking head on the finish of sequence 7 following his firing by Haas. He was interviewed once more for season 8 (which dropped final month) however featured far more sparingly.
