Surviving to Drive, A Year Inside Formula 1
by Guenther Steiner
Surviving to Drive is essentially Guenther Steiner’s diary of the Haas Formula 1 team’s 2022 season. At the time, Steiner was Team Principal. I am aware that this book has been a besteller but I am still trying to work out why.
Steiner (b. 1965) became a cult figure as a result of Netflix’s incredibly popular “Drive to Survive” tv series. In the early pages of the book, he claims not to have watched any of the series, but then, towards the end, he states that he has watched some episodes. Presumably, it was his popularity that prompted Penguin to approach the Italian to diarize his year. The book’s title clearly leverages the Netflix series’ popularity.
The narrative is all in the first person. It reads as if it might have been recorded, then typed. But Steiner refers to writing the diary several times. I didn’t find this diary style engaging and was further distracted by the continual use of “fok” and “foking.” If it was necessary to swear, which he evidently does a lot, then why not use the real swear words?
In the early part of the book, Steiner provides interesting biographical information about how he got involved in motorsport. He describes his various roles with Jaguar, Niki Lauda, and rallying, before he put together a plan to start a Formula 1 team using Ferrari power and components. He details how he sought out a suitable owner who had the wherewithal to bankroll the team. He convinced American businessman and NASCAR team owner Gene Hass.
The 2022 season was when Haas’ drivers were Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. As Haas’ main sponsor was also Russian, Steiner relates the early-season problems dealing with the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the season progresses, he also explains the difficulties of managing a young driver who is trying to live up to the reputation of his famous oligarch father.
In various parts of the book, he departs from the diary narrative of the Hass season to recount some of his adventures from when he was involved in rallying. For me, these were more absorbing than much of his description of the F1 season. He has clearly had an interesting and influential time in motorsport. A well-written biography would be worth reading.
I wanted to know so much more than this book revealed. I often found that I had questions raised by gaping holes in Steiner’s story. The book felt like it had been rushed to cash in on Steiner’s Netflix fame and pre-Christmas sales. Despite new copies still being on the shelves of bookshops, second-hand copies have already appeared in charity shops and second-hand bookshops.
There have been two versions of this book published, the first in 2023. The second, published the following year, has an eleven-page Afterword added. Steiner uses this to talk about his and the team’s 2023 experiences, plus his experiences promoting the book. He is no longer with Haas.
Also available as an audiobook read by the man himself. His second book is titled, fittingly, Unfiltered (978-0857506238). Subtitled My Incredible Decade in Formula 1 it is said to “share the real story of the origins of team Hass” which kinda makes you wonder what the first book must be missing.
Copyright 2026 Peter Hill (speedreaders.info)
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