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Steiner departed the team in the final days of 2023 following a near decade-long association with the American-registered operation.
He was replaced in the team principal role by Ayao Komatsu, while the squad announced it would also recruit a United Kingdom-based COO.
Haas operates a complex organisation with offices in three countries.
The race team is based out of Banbury, in the ex-Marussia F1 facility, while it has two design offices in Italy – one in Ferrari’s Maranello factory and another within Dallara.
There is also a presence in Charlotte in the United States.
While it’s not uncommon for F1 teams to have functions performed at other sites and sometimes in other countries (Renault builds its engines in France, for example, while the Alpine team that runs them is based in the UK), Haas’ set up is by far the most complicated.
Previously, Steiner had managed that alone, but under the new structure, the task will be split into two different roles.
Komatsu will managed the day-to-day running of the team as the COO focuses on its broader strategy.
“MoneyGram Haas F1 Team is a growing company, and we need someone to be the right-hand person to our Team Principal,” says the job ad.
“We’re searching for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) who has strong leadership skills and the ability to help steer the business to achieve its strategic goals. This position will be based in Banbury, UK.
“The COO will lead our team of high-performing professionals to be efficient, productive, and effective.
“The ideal candidate has extensive experience within our industry, preferably having worked their way up to an executive role.
“We believe this trajectory helps a person develop a unique mix of business and management expertise, plus proficiency with the practices, policies, and procedures in motorsport.
“The candidate should be a strategic thinker, with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
Key among the attributes the team seeks are strong financial management skills, project management experience, and a “Minimum ten years in a Formula One management position with progressing leadership responsibilities.”
That last point narrows the field considerably and catapults the likes of Otmar Szafnauer to the head of the queue.
The ex-Alpine team principal was axed midway through last year’s Belgian Grand Prix and is currently serving out a period of gardening leave.
As a result, he is unavailable until August.
Other possible candidates are the likes of Paddy Lowe, who once headed McLaren and briefly Williams, Ferrari’s ex-boss Mattia Binotto (though that would require him to relocate), or a possible internal promotion.
Szafnauer, however, seems the most obvious choice.
Educated in the United States, he has a master’s degree in business and finance from the University of Detroit.
He worked at Ford before becoming operations director of British American Racing.
A switch to Honda followed, and he became vice president of Honda Racing Developments.
In 2009, he founded his own business, Soft Pauer, which developed F1’s official timing apps for iPhone.
Later in the year, he joined Force India, remaining there throughout its tribulations only to depart at the end of 2022, when the team was known as Aston Martin.
Szafnauer became team principal of Alpine in 2022 and was at the helm during the Oscar Piastri contract saga before being axed at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, the other man departing Alpine in Belgium, Alan Permane, looks set to make his F1 return with AlphaTauri RB.
Permane was sporting director at Enstone, having worked with the team for 34 years before his departure.
He remains highly respected within the paddock, with Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner suggesting he would not be out of the paddock for long.
“Whilst I’ve never worked with Alan Permane, I think sometimes there has to be respect shown for somebody that’s put in 34 years of hard graft and been involved in world championships with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso,” he said.
“He has also been a steady hand during periods of that team going into administration, and out of administration, and into different ownership and so on.
“He’s very much been a constant there during that period. I think that earns respect and recognition, and I’m sure he’s a guy, like with Otmar, that won’t find themselves out of work.
“It won’t be the last you’ve seen of them in the pitlane, no doubt about that.”
AlphaTauri RB is in a transitional period.
Expected to be rebranded Racing Bulls when the team is officially launched for 2024, Laurent Mekies has stepped into the team principal role following Franz Tost’s retirement.
Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda are set to remain with the team for the coming year, both on one-year contracts.
