Ranked: F1 team principals based on their tenure

The departure of Guenther Steiner as the Haas F1 team principal on Wednesday has taken everyone in the sport by surprise.

The Italian-American was a popular figure in the paddock, known for his humor and straightforward approach to the sport. Steiner became a star on the Netflix show Drive to Survive, with people across the world entertained by his personality and his leadership of the smallest team on the grid.

Steiner was the third-longest serving team principal on the grid. Below is the list of team principals ranked based on their tenure:

#1 Christian Horner- Red Bull F1

Christain Horner has been leading the Red Bull F1 team since his appointment in January 2005 and is currently in his 19th year with the team.

He has successfully led the Austrian team to six constructors and seven driver championships during his tenure and has made them a force to be reckoned with on the grid.

#2 Toto Wolff- Mercedes

The Mercedes team boss took over the reins at the beginning of the 2014 season when he shared responsibilities with Paddy Lowe. Since Lowe's departure, Wolff has been the sole leader and also serves as an executive director of the German team since 2013.

Under his leadership, Mercedes have become one of the greatest and most successful teams in F1 history with eight consecutive world championships and seven driver titles in the space of a decade.

#3 Mike Krack- Aston Martin

The German joined the Silverstone-based outfit at the beginning of January 2022 leading them in the new regulations. Although it was a struggle for him in his first season as Aston Martin only managed a P7 finish in the constructor's championship, they did improve in 2023 finishing P5 despite being one of the quickest teams earlier in the season.

#4 Frederic Vasseur- Ferrari

The Frenchman replaced Mattia Binotto in the Italian team at the end of the 2022 season and led them to a P3 finish in his first season. He is currently the fourth-longest-serving team boss on the grid despite being a year old in his job at Ferrari.

Vasseur joined the Prancing Horses after he left his position as Team Principal at Alfa Romeo.

#5 Andrea Stella- McLaren

Andrea Stella replaced the departing Andreas Seidl in McLaren in December 2022 and led the team to a P4 finish in the constructor's championship. He previously served as the racing director of the team.

#6 James Vowles- Williams F1

The former head of strategy at Mercedes James Vowles left the German team to become the team principal of Williams F1 in January 2023.

Under his leadership, Williams finished P7 in the constructors championship which is their highest grid position since the end of the 2017 season.

#7 Alessandro Alunni Bravi- Sauber

Alessandro Aluni Bravi was appointed as the 'team representative' of Sauber in January 2023 after Vassuer left the team for Ferrari. Although he assumes the role of team principal despite not being the official title and leads the team from the front on the grid.

#8 Bruno Famin- Alpine

Bruno Famin was appointed as the interim team principal of the Alpine F1 team after they decided to fire Otmar Szafnauer before the mid-season break in 2023. It has yet not been confirmed by the team if he will be in the position permanently for 2024 or will assume his role from the previous year.

#9 Laurent Mekies- AlphaTauri

Mekies left Ferrari as the deputy team principal and racing director to replace Franz Tost as the team principal of the AlphaTauri F1 team courtesy of the latter's retirement from the sport.

He assumed the role of team boss in December 2023 and returned to the Faenza-based outfit as he formerly worked there as a race engineer in their Minardi days.

#10 Ayao Komatsu- Haas

Ayao Komatsu has been named as the replacement of Steiner at the Haas F1 team by team owner Gene Haas. He previously served as a trackside engineering director under the helm of Steiner and will take over the role of team principal at the end of January 2024.