Guenther Steiner, former team principal of the Haas Formula 1 team, has expressed his disagreement with the statements made by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who suggested that the organization could assist Aston Martin in keeping Fernando Alonso in competition. At the beginning of a challenging season for the British team, Ben Sulayem stated it was unacceptable for the two-time world champion not to be competitive and offered support to improve the team’s situation ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
«We cannot allow Fernando, a great champion, to leave due to circumstances,» said Ben Sulayem. He insisted that Alonso should be able to retire successfully and not due to pressures stemming from his performance. «I will meet with him. I have seen him very sad, and I want to know what he needs to improve results,» added the FIA president.
In response to this message, Steiner expressed his opinion during an appearance on the Red Flags Podcast. He argued that no one deserves to be in competition simply for having the titles or history that Alonso has. «Aston Martin needs to solve its own problems, and that is not the federation’s responsibility,» he commented.
The former Haas director made a comparison with the Cadillac team, which is new to the series and has yet to score any points this season. «What should Cadillac say? That they deserve to be better? They have much more to resolve than Aston Martin,» he concluded.
Currently, Alonso’s continuity at Aston Martin is in question as his contract ends at the end of the season, fueling rumors of a possible move to Alpine or his retirement from the world of Formula 1.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
