Former Haas team principal and Italian native Guenther Steiner spoke on the Business of Sport podcast about the influence of drivers—particularly Lewis Hamilton—beyond the world of motorsport.
Photo: Sam Bagnall
According to him, the seven-time World Champion from Great Britain is the only current F1 driver who truly transcends the sport. Although the biggest star in Formula 1 at the moment is Max Verstappen, he doesn’t have much influence outside the world of motorsport.
"It's a combination, and again, we have got the perfect example here," Steiner explained. "In Formula 1, the only one above a team is Lewis Hamilton. What do you call his presence, his stature - it's very big outside of the sport as well. You’re big in the sport, but then when you get big outside of the sport, you're bigger than the actual team.
Photo: Andy Hone
"It's the same in football. It happens. So in Formula 1, the only one who can claim that one is Lewis, at the moment. Max is very big in the sport, but he doesn't work on being somebody outside of the sport because for him, his life is racing cars. While Lewis has got another thing as well, what he wants to achieve in life.
"And we see it now with Lewis and Ferrari. They are two huge brands together, and it's almost sometimes a conflict. Who is bigger, Ferrari or Lewis?"
Credit: Business of Sport podcast