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F1 Brazilian GP: Steiner to speak with Gutierrez after emotions settle

Haas team principal Gunther Steiner says he will hold talks again with Esteban Gutierrez to explain the decision to drop the Mexican driver as he hopes to repair the relationship after a falling out in Brazil.

Gutierrez confirmed he would be leaving Haas after just one season at the end of this year which opened the door for Kevin Magnussen to join in 2017 and potentially leaves the Mexican driver without a race seat in F1.

After venting his disappointment at the decision, Gutierrez's fractious relationship with Haas came to a head when he was forced to retire from the Brazil GP with a an electrical fault. He was broadcast on the live TV feed throwing his gloves at the Haas garage wall and stormed out of the garage when confronted by Steiner.

After Gutierrez backtracked on his actions and played down the incident after the race, Steiner will talk to the Mexican about the decision to drop him from its driver line-up once the emotions have cooled off.

"I think it is emotional when you are told something like this [being dropped]," Steiner said. "I respect that and therefore I don't want to get into I say, he says. He has his feelings. The feelings were hurt, which I understand and respect as well. But I don't want to go back and explain what the criteria was.

"It was fair and very subjective as well, but set in a moment where he was emotional by the decision and everything, it could be something different when he thinks about it in a few days.

"For me to sit here and discuss whether we were fair or not, I don't want to do that. I don't want to wash dirty underwear in public. I will talk with him, and I told him in Abu Dhabi I want to sit down again with him and explain when he has calmed down."

After its maiden campaign in F1 Steiner stressed it doesn't want to make enemies of any drivers and hopes he can repair the relationship with Gutierrez before the end of the season.

"He is a very clever young man, so sometimes you need to explain motivations, and there is never a problem because even if you part company we can still be friends," he said. "We don't need to always fall out.

"Sometimes you agree to disagree in life but you still keep on. It is a very small club we have, and our intention is to never fall out with anybody. We always try to find an agreement and make a judgment and we will do it in private."

Immediately after confirming he is being replaced at Haas by Kevin Magnussen, Gutierrez was seen holding talks with Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn for a potential return to the Swiss team he raced for in 2013 and 2014. Only Sauber and Manor are set to confirm its F1 driver line-ups for 2017.

Zdroj: crash.net