The extent of new 2016 entrant Haas’ tie-up with Ferrari is becoming clearer.
Earlier in 2014, the ‘Haas’ logos of Nascar team owner Gene Haas’ successful machine tool company were added to the race livery of Ferrari’s F14-T car. And last week it was confirmed that Haas’ North Carolina based F1 team, set to enter the sport the year after next, will link up with Ferrari for the supply of turbo V6 engines.
But as Ferrari boss Marco Mattiacci said in last week’s announcement, the partnership with Haas “has the potential to evolve beyond the traditional role of supplying our power unit and all related technical services”. In the press, it is suggested Ferrari sees Haas as a sort of potential ‘B team’. Gene Haas told NCBSN: “We’re going to try to get as many parts as allowed by the FIA. “It’s going to be suspension, it’s going to be I think wheels and chassis parts and transmission, engine. Everything down to even the steering modes. “One of the prior Concorde Agreements was that the big teams could help the smaller teams, so we hope to get a lot of help from Ferrari to tell us what direction to go in,” said Haas.
Haas said the team still also intends to work with Dallara. “Our goal at least initially is to try to rent, buy, whatever we can to go racing because that’s what we’re here for,” he revealed. Another point of interest surrounding the Haas team is the eventual identity of the drivers. Americans Alexander Rossi and Danica Patrick have already been linked with the cockpits, although the Ferrari tie-up would also seem to open the door to the Italian marque’s ‘academy’ juniors. Haas said one of his Nascar drivers, 36-year-old Kurt Busch, is also interested. “Everybody I talk to is interested,” he said. “I was talking to Kurt Busch last week. He was interested. He said if he wins the Nascar championship, could he have a ride in one. I said ‘for sure’ if he wins the championship,” smiled Haas.
