The roads around the Monaco Grand Prix are filled with supercars, luxury shuttles and endless traffic jams. Günther Steiner’s preferred mode of transport is something far more practical: a 50cc scooter.
When I caught up with the former Haas F1 Team Principal in the paddock, I was curious how his race days had changed since stepping away from team management. After all, for a decade, Steiner was one of Formula 1’s most recognisable figures, helping to build Haas into an established team while becoming a fan favourite through Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
His answer revealed a life that is still busy, but considerably less stressful.
“I always stay in Beausoleil with a friend of mine,” Steiner told Paddock Magazine. “It’s great because I can stay away from the stress up there.”
His daily commute has become one of the simplest parts of the weekend.
“I’ve got a scooter, a 50cc scooter,” he said. “Where I go to the track, it’s the best way to work around here. You can move quickest, and you can actually plan, because if you go by car here in Monte Carlo, you never know. Does it take 15 minutes, or does it take an hour and 15 minutes?”
These days, Steiner’s Monaco Sunday revolves around broadcasting rather than race strategy.
“I get in normally in the morning, and I’m doing TV,” he explained. “I’m doing Canal Plus, and a little bit of RTL here.”
The day starts in the Canal+ studio before moving on to corporate appearances at some of Monaco’s most prestigious venues.
“Normally, it starts off with going to the Canal+ studio, doing five to ten minutes. Then I do some corporate events, normally up in the Hermitage or in the Hotel de Paris. It’s an hour there, and then just before the race, I do some TV for RTL, the German TV.”
Gone are the pressure-filled pit wall decisions that defined much of his Formula 1 career. Instead, Steiner now watches the Grand Prix from a different perspective.
“The race, I watch up here at Pirelli’s motorhome,” he said. “They are very kind to host me here.”
The chequered flag doesn’t mark the end of the working day.
“It’s Canal Plus after the race, and then I do some work for BBC Radio,” Steiner added.
Then comes perhaps the most Guenther Steiner ending imaginable.
“And that’s my day. Then I take my little scooter and go up to Beausoleil.”
