SUMMARY
- Gene Haas plans to stick to the current power unit arrangement while emphasizing on the collaboration with Ferrari.
- Despite leadership changes and performance struggles, Haas owner Gene Haas expresses confidence in the existing strategy.
In a gesture of appreciation to the team’s long-running engine supplier, Gene Haas reinforced his commitment to keeping the current power unit arrangement. Gene Haas has no desire to walk away from Ferrari, despite the latest turmoil at Haas, involving the retirement of former team leader, Guenther Steiner, who had managed the team since its inception.
The Italian company has served as a longtime collaborator since 2016, delivering power units and a variety of equipment like rear crash structures, gearboxes, and suspensions. The Ferrari power unit has been durable and added power to their machinery, which does not align with the American team placing last in the 2023 constructors’ championship.
Haas’ partnership with Ferrari remains intact despite performance setbacks
Following Steiner’s departure, Gene expressed embarrassment at his team’s performance in exploiting Ferrari’s equipment in an exclusive interview. Haas insists that he is confident in the existing strategy notwithstanding the ups and downs in the leadership while adding the fact that he has no desire for redundant tweaks.
🚨 | Gene Haas believes Ferrari is the key to his team’s success:
“We can’t be running so far behind Ferrari. We need to be closer to them.”#F1 #Ferrari pic.twitter.com/kWSdxaWIcb
— Ferrari Focus (@Scuderiascoop) January 12, 2024
When asked about his strategy while heading into 2024, Gene said, “I think the competition is going to be very intense, so having a partner like Ferrari is going to be very important. We’re very happy to stay with Ferrari. I hope we can help them in terms of reliability. But we have got to do better. We can’t be running so far behind Ferrari. We need to be closer to them.”
Working with the Maranello-based outfit is still the most effective way for Haas to grow. However, the situation within the team has not been the same since the arrival of Nikita Mazepin and the continuous financial struggles and performance issues.
Guenther Steiner reveals clash in opinions with former boss
Gene Haas’s opinions about investing in their Formula 1 operation are contradicted by the former Italian team principal. Haas clarified that Steiner’s departure was performance-related, not a result of conflicting perspectives on infrastructure or investment. Haas suffers on the track even though they have a long-standing technical relationship with Ferrari who are ages ahead.
Guenther Steiner has spoken publicly for the first time since he lost his team principal job at Haas.
“I don’t know Gene Haas’ plans for the future. He didn’t share them with me, he doesn’t have to, by the way.
“I’m actually not really interested in it anymore.”#F1 #Haas pic.twitter.com/ONWp9RYqv2
— 🏎 Formula 1 Daily (@Formula1_Daily) January 13, 2024
Steiner has revealed the internal politics regarding budget cap as he stated, “I would say what is a fair assessment is when you look at the other teams where they are going since the budget cap came into place, a lot of teams… Therefore it is not spending money, it is investing to use the budget cap, the operational budget cap, as best as possible that you can put money in to make the car go quickly.”
At a point, Steiner publicly addressed his departure and voiced distaste for Haas.
