When regimes change, comparisons are bound to happen. Since Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017, the sport has undergone a renaissance. Several aspects have been changed relative to the Bernie Ecclestone era. Now, Bernie ain’t a fan of how Liberty and Stefano Domenicali are operating F1. Though in this comparison, it’s always good to hear from a neutral individual, and that is Guenther Steiner.

The Haas team principal Guenther Steiner recently appeared on F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast. Speaking to Tom Clarkson, Steiner spoke about the differences in the political dynamic of F1 in the Liberty media era from the Bernie Ecclestone era.

Steiner said, “I think they are different. Definitely, they are different, everybody [teams] is included. Before with Bernie, the big teams always have a little bit of an advantage.”

Guenther mentioned how there is more inclusivity under Stefano Domenicali’s leadership of F1. “But I think it’s more transparent now with Stefano [Domenicali] in charge. It’s more information, he always tries to update us [teams] on what is going on in his world.”

Ex-F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone Was Once Left Envious of Successors Liberty Media: “They Have No Experience”

Steiner opined that this is also due to how Liberty media approached the management of the sport. They wanted to solidify all 10 teams and ensure that nobody is struggling. Steiner is a credible voice to point out such differences, as he helms a smaller team like Haas on the grid.

Liberty Media’s renaissance of F1

Many fans say that Formula 1 as a sport was fading out under the Bernie Ecclestone era. Though since the Liberty media takeover, it has been a major overhaul in all aspects. The marketing approach via the Netflix Series Drive to Survive was perhaps a great move to draw more fans toward F1.

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The number of new fans drawn through Drive to Survive since 2019 has been amazing. There are a few aspects to the over-dramatized nature of the show that may annoy some old-school fans. Although, it is potentially serving its marketing purpose right. The response to the new user experience while live streaming and on-track fan experience have been positively improving.

Another major step is the welcoming of new manufacturers like Audi and Porsche. While the Porsche entry is not confirmed, Audi is confirmed to join F1 in 2026 with the Sauber team (Alfa Romeo). This bodes well for several other potential teams that wish to join F1.

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Eventually, the number of changes made by Liberty Media is certainly taking F1 in a better direction. With the popularity of the sport on a different level amongst fans, we wonder what new initiatives will Stefano Domenicali and Liberty undertake.