Guenther Steiner, the former team principal of Haas, believes that Cadillac should immediately abandon the development of its Formula 1 car for 2026 and redirect its resources towards the 2027 model.
The American manufacturer debuted in the competition in early 2026 with a driver lineup composed of Sergio Pérez and Valtteri Bottas. Although no significant immediate results were expected, reliability issues have left the team without points, currently sitting in 11th place in the constructors’ championship.
Following the announcement of a team principal change, replacing Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski, Steiner expects that the shift in focus towards 2027 will be communicated soon. “There were a lot of expectations created. If they had been last, we would understand, but they are so far removed that they have no chance of being second to last,” Steiner commented during his appearance on The Red Flags Podcast.
Steiner argued that it makes no sense to continue working on the 2026 car. “Anything you have in progress, do it, but then focus on 2027. There is no sense in doing anything for 2026,” he added. Furthermore, he highlighted that Budkowski will likely prioritize the new model and will not worry about making minor changes before the next race.
According to Steiner, the team arrived on the 2026 grid with inflated expectations. “I think they thought it was simpler than it actually is, and they didn’t believe the people who warned them about the difficulties. There are many people who don’t come from the sport and simply think: ‘We can do it, why are they telling us it’s complicated? We know better.'”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
