Aston Martin received a harsh assessment from Guenther Steiner after the Formula 1 Barcelona Grand Prix. The former Haas team principal labeled the team’s current state as unacceptable and pointed to the Silverstone outfit as his biggest disappointment during the weekend in Spain.
Speaking on The Red Flags podcast, the former executive highlighted the difficulties faced by the squad throughout the Spanish leg, marked by a lack of competitiveness and Fernando Alonso’s retirement in the final laps, a situation that triggered a Virtual Safety Car (VSC).
Therefore, in his assessment, Steiner does not accept the situation. “I think it has to be Aston Martin, because Aston Martin makes Cadillac look good, and Cadillac finished three laps down at the end of the race. But it made Cadillac look good. What Aston Martin is doing now is simply, in my opinion, unacceptable.”
“That is no longer the standard of Formula 1. It’s like having someone from the local category there. You’re last by a large margin, and you still don’t finish the race,” he declared.
Questioned whether Stefano Domenicali could take any action given the situation, Gunther dismissed any possibility. “Stefano cannot do anything about it. They’re there and obviously not performing, and I don’t think Lawrence Stroll is proud of what’s happening. But, obviously, the final responsibility lies with him. He is the owner of the team,” he pointed out.
“Stefano does not have the authority to say when they should pit, when they shouldn’t, what they are doing or how they are performing. In Formula 1 there is no relegation rule. In most sports, if you’re not performing, guess what? You are relegated,” he continued.
Despite the criticisms, Steiner rejected the notion of a lack of effort on the part of the team owner. “It’s not a lack of trying on the part of Lawrence Stroll. I think there are few people who have put as much money out of their own pocket into Formula 1 as Lawrence has. But, obviously, he can’t seem to get it right,” he concluded.
