Haas F1’s Guenther Steiner Is Working on a Workplace Sitcom. No, Really
The Haas F1 boss has essentially become Drive to Survive’s comedic relief.
First came the heavily dramatized Netflix docuseries. Then came the movie starring Brad Pitt. Next, there was the ambitious but ultimately successful visit to Vegas. Now, the Hollywood-ification of Formula 1 appears to continue on the small screen. According to Deadline, CBS is working on a workplace comedy with Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner serving as a non-writing executive producer.
The report says the show will be "set in the world of sports" with a "Steineresque" boss serving as the protagonist. So, the sport in question may or may not end up being F1, but given Steiner's involvement, we'd be surprised if it isn't at least on the shortlist of sports this thing will center around. The series is said to be in the "early stages of development" and be a single-camera production—think Ted Lasso, not The Big Bang Theory.
For those wondering what on earth a Formula 1 team boss is doing producing TV comedies, Steiner has become a bit of a comedic figure himself on the back of his appearances on Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The foul-mouthed team principal has become famous for his very distinct brand of unfiltered reactions to the high-stakes pressures and conflicts that come with heading up an F1 team.
Blending the vocabulary and temper of Gordon Ramsay with the unserious, unvarnished demeanor of Michael Scott, it's not a mystery why Haas' team principal—a position that would otherwise be a side-side character—has become a DTS audience favorite.
Coincidentally or not, this news comes on the very same day the BBC announced that Top Gear would not be returning "for the foreseeable future"—a show that, by the height of its popularity, had become more of a sitcom rather than a car show anyway. The Car TV Gods giveth, the Car TV Gods taketh.
Is the Guenther Steiner workplace comedy just what the auto entertainment world needs to move on post-Top Gear? As silly and tongue-in-cheek as that question may be, stranger motorsport-related things have yielded decent entertainment before. Like, y'know, a Gran Turismo movie that actually wasn't hot garbage. Or a surprisingly exciting Grand Prix taking place on the Las Vegas Strip.
If this project turns into yet another gateway into motorsports for people who wouldn't otherwise give a hoot about fast cars and checkered flags, I'm all for it.
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