Yellow Ferraris? Haas F1 says not exactly

"StingrayJake" (stingrayjake)
05/02/2015 at 16:47 • Filed to: Haas F1, Ferrari, Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden

I know us American F1 fans are all thrilled to see an American-owned F1 team making a go of it, but there’s been a lot of conjecture that the forthcoming Haas F1 Team will be to Ferrari what STR is to Red Bull. Not so, says Haas.

In an interview with Autosport (and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), Haas F1 team principal Gunther Steiner denied that Ferrari has designated Haas its B-team. As far as Haas is concerned, they’re going to be playing for points.

“I think they [Ferrari] are for us like a good partner, which helps us to get into F1,” Steiner told AUTOSPORT. “We didn’t speak about drivers with them. There is no plan to be their B-team and to do whatever they want. That’s not the plan.

“There is a very good relationship, yes, and we want to go F1 racing and we asked them if they want to be our technical partner. The cars will not just be yellow Ferraris, because the bodywork will be different and the chassis is different.”

Some have said that Alexander Rossi and Josef Newgarden should be among the favorites to land a seat with Haas but that’s also been the source of some of the Ferrari B-team talk, suggesting that Ferrari will dictate who — likely two of its development drivers — will be driving for Haas.

Also worth mentioning is that this is the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! yellow has been mentioned as a possible color for the Haas F1 cars. And this time the question wasn’t even specifically about the color, Steiner himself called it a yellow Ferrari.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

So, will the Haas F1 cars just be yellow Ferraris with Ferrari drivers at the helm?

DISCUSSION (15)

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > StingrayJake
05/02/2015 at 16:52

I really hope haas does the right thing and puts American asses in those seats

Tim (Fractal Footwork) > StingrayJake
05/02/2015 at 20:20

Interested in writing for Formula Freak?

Blubya > StingrayJake
05/03/2015 at 14:33

I don’t really care about the Haas F1 thing, when it gets here we will see. As an American I can’t claim an interest in F1 having an American team, F1 has always been distant and a kind of an abstraction which is one of the things I like about F1. Making things nationalistic seems ridiculous, Mercedes F1 is not German and even Ferrari is not fully Italian, its an illusion which cant last for even the most disinterested fan.

New teams are amorphous, until we meet the members through the press and see them on the track its just an idea without form, and even at that points its just another team.

If we use our knowledge of how things play out during the year I am guessing we will see this. At testing we learn nothing, at the first four races we see where they fit into the field, front half, or back half. During the year we get a sense of the characters and the BS, we get a better view on where they fit on the grid, its just another team yet for some reason it being American makes it different. I want a team that delivers on the level of competition not likes on Facebook.

Haas should sit down with his team and come up with a kind of manifesto to the fan, tell us who you are and what you want to achieve in the whole F1 game. Say it clearly and with explicate focus.

Try this: The goal of Haas F1 is to win points and win races, we see ourselves competing for podiums each and every race. It will take a few years but even in our first year we see ourselves as top of the midfield and gaining points at most races. Our plan is to be the most technologically innovative team F1 has ever seen. Our plan is to participate as equals to the top teams on the track and have our say in the running of F1 equal to all others. Haas in F1 means we will by necessity change F1, the American voice has been missing from the top form of motor sport for too long, our perspective will have a value that no other team can bring to the sport…

So they are serious and ambitious racers, they get the whole its about racing thing, GREAT! They are also clear eyed, focusing on the best of the rest, not idea but if its just a marketing thing to sell more Haas things, its a real achievement.

I don’t want to hear about innovative resource allocation or time efficiency, go hire Tim Cook from Apple for that, I want a race team, as in race.

Or: The top form of motor sport now has an American voice and an American team, Haas F1. Haas F1 will prove that its possible to compete and win points with a modest budget and big dreams. Our long range plan is to win and get to the podium as much as any small team can. Haas F1 can change the equation with American innovation and a fresh perspective. We are here to win the hearts of F1 fans the world over, and play an important role in F1, we will win points and we will fight for much more…

Small teams cant get wins and podiums, but they are ambitions and opportunistic, they could be fun to watch and who knows what will happen, maybe they will show up with something interesting from race to race.

Just tell us what the plan is upfront so we can get a grip on what to expect, until then its just this years HRT, Caterham, Marussa. Yes we will be measuring the team against any such statements, thats the way it is, don’t lie, just tell us what the plan is. At that point I might find the team worth my attention, not because its American.

ScuzzM0nkey > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/03/2015 at 16:20

I’m all for seeing Americans represented in F1 again, but it’s only the “right thing” if those drivers are the best available (within their budget).

StingrayJake > Blubya
05/03/2015 at 22:30

I don’t particularly agree, but we’re all entitled to our opinions.

Nationality has always been a huge deal in racing, especially in F1. Even last year, when Massa was on the podium in Brazil, it was extremely obvious.

Now that doesn’t mean that all Ferrari fans are Italian — this is a global sport after all — but they are a distinctly Italian team, even with a Finn and a German at the wheel.

As such, even if Haas ends up with two European drivers, I will still happily cheer for them by virtue of it being an American-owned team. That’s my choice and I’m not ashamed to be patriotic when it comes to a global sport.

And with regard to Haas and their mission, I don’t think anybody expects them to compete for wins from the start, especially not under the current regulations. I think it’d be extremely optimistic to hope that they can punch with the likes of Williams.

If they end up another Marussia or Caterham, then I'll be disappointed.

StingrayJake > Tim (Fractal Footwork)
05/03/2015 at 22:33

I don't think so. You guys do a good job and know quite a bit more about than I do. I only started being a fan last fall haha.

Blubya > StingrayJake
05/04/2015 at 13:29

No doubt about it, lots of fans have the nationality thing as a path into F1, its adds something big for them. Be proud of your patriotism, I don’t really see the teams as representative of a country or a country as symbolic of something related to sport, so, its not important to me.

I think if you reread what I wrote you will see I said Haas is not going to win anything. My point is simply that Haas should tell us their goals, right now all we know is that they intent to use F1 as a marketing platform... thats it. Are they headed towards the middle of the pack, the front, the back do they care?

StingrayJake > Blubya
05/04/2015 at 13:49

Well I certainly hope they care. The quotes from the above article seem to indicate that they want to score points. Of course in today’s climate, scoring points is the only way a small team can make it and I’m thinking more and more that the grid won’t be bigger next year — Haas will be replacing somebody.

Mike Ramsey > StingrayJake
05/04/2015 at 16:14

I'd really like to see Rossi in one of those seats just to get the American audience to have an interest. Other than that get the best guy you can. If Kimi gets ran off for Bottas next year at Ferrari get him in there he'll be like a Finnish Kyle Bush flipping the bird and causing all sorts of good time.

StingrayJake > Mike Ramsey
05/04/2015 at 16:47

I gotta say, I would love to have Kimi on board. He’s a big part of the reason I root for Ferrari as is.

KittenFlakes > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/07/2015 at 23:56

Too bad we only have one eligible under the new Superlicense points system.

337GTI > Mike Ramsey
05/09/2015 at 22:40

I think Kimi will tire of F1 by the end of his contract. I don’t see him signing on with another team let alone a new team still looking for their way.

DragonBreath > StingrayJake
05/13/2015 at 18:21

You point out something that should be obvious.

Nationalism is important in F1, but it is more about the drivers than the teams.

Red Bull is an Austrian team from Great Britain. There are other examples, but no Red Bull driver is ever going to drape himself in an Austrian flag...unless they get an Austrian Driver.

StingrayJake > DragonBreath
05/13/2015 at 19:05

That’s true, and most teams are UK-based these days, but I think it’s a unique case with an American-backed team. The sport does still have a lot of national pride and an American-backed team should help F1 make gains in America.

DragonBreath > StingrayJake
05/13/2015 at 20:29

I agree, but I also think that an American driver with at least a mid-level team would do just as much. We shall see, but I am looking forward to it.