The Haas Formula 1 car is expected to be unveiled on February 21st, one day ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona.
Any newcomer in the F1 den is going to experience lots of growing pains in their maiden season, so expectations shouldn’t be that high.
Then again, having formed a partnership with Ferrari is a very good starting point. The Scuderia will provide Haas with engine, transmission and suspension components, while the chassis, made by hugely experienced outfit Dallara, could prove to be competitive.
Gene Haas actually believes that it might equal, or even better, that of Ferrari. He’s probably putting out a brave face, of course (pre-season, everyone does), but as with the rest we won’t know for sure until they hit the track.
“It’s only ten weeks, which is not a lot, but the work is going to plan”, said team principal Gunther Steiner.
“We are pretty happy, everything seems to come together. The car is the last thing you bring in and the production planning is going well.We will start to produce a car in mid-January, we will do the crash test at the beginning of January and then we will start to put one together. We will roll it out hopefully the day before the testing starts.”
Moreover, the American outfit comes with a very generous budget and a quick driver in Romain Grosjean. All things considered, they are joining the club with more than a fighting chance against teams such as Sauber and Manor, who might be in for a surprise in their struggle to score some points. After all, there are certainly not enough to go around for everyone…
Story references: planetf1
Note: Haas F1 Team Showcar pictured
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