10 Worst Team Principals in F1 History

Worst Team Principals in F1 History

Gunther Steiner

10. Otmar Szafnauer (Aston Martin & Alpine)

Two major teams, same problem: no stability, no long-term direction, and constant internal conflict. Alpine fired him mid-season after two years of regression.

9. Mike Krack (Aston Martin)

Aston’s hype collapsed under his leadership. Poor development path, inconsistent upgrades, and the team went from podiums to nowhere.

8. Gunther Steiner (Haas)

Great TV personality, bad results. Years of finishing last or near last, questionable driver choices, and zero long-term progress.

7. Vijay Mallya (Force India)

His leadership wasn’t awful, but his legal and financial scandals nearly killed the team. Off-track chaos overshadowed on-track overachievement.

6. Eric Boullier (Renault/McLaren)

Massive expectations, few results. Under him, McLaren hit some of its worst years, with no direction and poor management structure.

5. Maurizio Arrivabene (Ferrari)

Toxic culture, fear-driven environment, and zero stability. Ferrari collapsed in 2018 due to internal politics and poor leadership.

4. Cyril Abiteboul (Renault)

Endless promises, minimal results. Renault stagnated under him, and his leadership style alienated both drivers and staff.

3. Colin Kolles (HRT/Caterham/Force India early years)

Fired people constantly, clashed with drivers, and led some of the worst-organized teams in modern F1 history.

2. John Booth & Graeme Lowdon (Manor/Marussia late years)

Well-meaning but completely overmatched at the F1 level — constant financial collapse, mismanagement, and the team barely survived year-to-year.

1. Flavio Briatore (Renault — Crashgate)

Not the worst performer… but the most damaging. Crashgate made him the most controversial leader in F1 history, resulting in a lifetime ban (later overturned