In court papers filed in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, Steiner claimed his former Haas team failed to pay him commissions owed to him over several years, which was a violation of his employment contract.
Furthermore, he claims that the company, which he left late last year after his contract was not renewed, continues to sell products in his name and image, as well as use on its official website. He claims that this is being done without his authorization and that, furthermore, he is not receiving the royalties which he claims are due to him.
In the court documents, many of whose details have been redacted, Steiner sets out his argument that he should have been paid for the commissions he was owed in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and which fell within the period covered by his last employment contract .
Court documents state: “Haas F1 has chosen not to renew Mr. Steiner’s employment contract. It was his right. But Haas F1 did what it had no right to do and refused to pay Mr Steiner. [amount redacted] owed under his employment contract.
He added: “But after years of accepting the benefits of Mr. Steiner’s reputation, experience and deep connections within the sport, Haas F1 cannot deny Mr. Steiner the benefits he has won.”
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Court documents did not reveal details of the commissions Steiner says he is owed, but they could be related to sponsorship deals he brought to the team.
Furthermore, Steiner believes that Haas did not act correctly by continuing to use its image and brand.
The court document states that Haas benefited enormously from Steiner’s presence in the Netflix series: Drive to Survive, in which he became one of the most popular faces.
“Haas F1 was frequently featured on the series, and Mr. Steiner’s presence on the show drove more and more fans to Haas F1,” he said.
“This exposure was extremely valuable to the fledgling racing team, especially as they sought additional revenue streams to support themselves in the notoriously expensive Formula 1 environment.”
Steiner claims Haas continued to profit from his brand and image, which he says he is not allowed to do because his employment contract was terminated.
The court documents added: “Haas F1 has no right to use or exploit Mr. Steiner’s name, image and likeness in any form of media following the termination of his employment.”
“Haas F1 has not compensated Mr. Steiner for the unauthorized use of his name, image and likeness.”
