Guenther Steiner has admitted that he can’t explain why he enjoys cult-figure popularity in the world of Formula 1.
The Haas team boss is now a best-selling author on top of his day job, a role which catapulted him to fame of sorts courtesy of the Drive to Survive series.
An outspoken personality in the paddock, Steiner doesn’t typically shy away from the hard topics.
That landed him in hot water over the Spanish Grand Prix after he was deemed to have unfairly criticised officials at the Monaco Grand Prix.
“You cannot be unhappy,” Steiner told Speedcafe if asked what he thought of the attention his popularity brings.
“But the strange thing is when you achieve something not trying to do it, and you get there, it’s like ‘explain it’.
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“People say, can you explain it to me? I say no, I cannot explain to myself, how to explain to someone else?!
“It has become what it is. I think it’s one of those things, like Drive to Survive, nobody thought the series will be this popular – never ever.
“A lot of people tried to do a series, Ferrari, Mercedes not taking part the first year, and all of a sudden this thing picks up so big, and me being part of it…
“It’s weird. If you try to do something like this, it’s very difficult to achieve, but this is just right place, right time.”
While unable to explain why he as an individual has captivated so many, Steiner recognises the value it brings to the sport.
Formula 1 has been working to change its image and attract new demographics to what was a traditionally ageing fanbase.
To do so, they’ve worked to play up the characters in the sport, giving them greater emphasis.
That has seen the likes of Steiner, and Daniel Ricciardo, capture audiences globally.
“I think it’s good for the sport,” the Haas boss agreed.
“Our sport lives not only on results; it lives also on characters, it lives from drama.
“Sport lives if there is more content than just a race – I’m not referring to just racing, I refer to any competition.
“Look at tennis,” he added.
“It’s popular but it lives a lot with who the top players are at the moment of time, you know, the characters.
“In the old days with Boris Becker, you know, what we brought to the sport at the time. And now, I think he’s Australian, [Nick Kyrgios].
“Sport lives from these characters; not only Kyrgios, he’s not maybe number one in the world, but everybody knows him.”
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