Haas F1 Principal Stresses Patience to Those Hoping for American Driver for American Team Guenther Steiner says bringing an American driver to the full-time grid is not as simple as it sounds. Mark BrownGetty Images The 6-year-old Haas F1 Team is led by American businessman Gene Haas and Italian-born American citizen and team principal Guenther Steiner. The American team, however, has yet to field an American driver to its full-time lineup. One of the biggest hurdles for and American in Formula 1 is the Super License system. Six years into the Haas F1 Formula 1 team project, the American team still doesn't look all that American to a casual fan.