Haas Locked In To Cause Midfield Chaos

Since first appearing in Formula 1 in 2016, Haas was always under the radar with its new car reveal. Owner Gene Haas and team principal Guenther Steiner purchased a restrained unveiling. Of course, the constructor hopes to have built a car that can compete with the midfield. There’s no way of finding out whether the car hangs on with the bigger name teams and registers positive testing results. Nevertheless, many are excited about what Haas brings to the table with a fresh slate.

Return to the Midfield

It’s February which means we’re back on track, THIS MONTH! #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/sCTHs7LXRH

— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) February 1, 2023

READ MORE: Alpine Excites Formula 1 With All-French Lineup

A nervous last few years for Haas

It’s difficult to hate Haas. The American team earned a reputation for resilience and persistence. The pandemic did put them one step back and closer to a rebuild. But, Steiner and Haas tanked the latter half of the 2021 season to focus on creating the new 2022 car. This gave the constructor a little more breathing room for upgrades and a chance to get ahead of the grid.

The pieces eventually matched up. It was a risky gamble but did pay off in the long run. The returning Kevin Magnussen provided some momentum to the new era. He delivered an impressive 2022 season opener in Bahrain, followed by multiple points finishes through the calendar. The Danish driver even listed the team’s first-ever pole position in Sao Paulo.

Despite putting in 100%, Haas was easily out-developed by their immediate rivals and had to settle for dead last in the Constructors’ Championship. It was admittedly better than their previous season but not quite the ending the team hoped for. There’s still plenty of room for improvement.

This year, Haas wants to become a midfield fixture. It’s been at least four years since we’ve seen the team fight the midfield consistently. To return to that old version, Steiner and the engineers need to supply a reliable car with stable performance across several track formats. Having a car that can only peak on one or two tracks will not cut it.

Their hopes of having a proper machine are aided by the fact that they have a full technical team situated in Maranello. Inheriting Technical Director Simone Resta in their crew since 2021 also worked wonders for Haas.

Ferrari-powered

Haas’s relationship with Ferrari remains close and a critical part of their long-term plan. The American team utilizing parts and regulations developed by the Italian outfit helped with their pace and solve major problems quicker. Furthermore, it’s worth reiterating that their car uses a Ferrari power unit, which has more development and labor underneath.

And while the team and customers had to operate at much lower rates in the final half of last season to maintain reliability, sources tell us that fixes are in place and should unlock more power output with reliability. This should open the door to better power figures that could make them threaten the midfield.

Looking at the team budget, Haas seems stable despite splurging on millions of dollars worth of repairs from last year. Gene Haas adds a lifeline, but their intention to operate the team as a business and attract outside backers is the top priority. They pulled off a mega deal in 2023, with digital payment firm MoneyGram onboard as the title sponsor this season.

To cash in on their advancements, Haas will rely on an experienced line-up featuring Kevin Magnussen and the returning Nico Hulkenberg. The duo has 322 Grand Prix starts between them and the team will bank on their experience moving forward. Ultimately, the goal is to keep the upward trajectory going and surpass their 2018 figures. They have all the pieces to achieve this–now it’s up to the drivers, team principal, and company to drop-ship.

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