Gene Haas is encouraged with progress Haas has made with its 2022 Formula 1 car, according to team boss Guenther Steiner, following a recent visit to its design facility.
Haas, which joined Formula 1 in 2016, has regressed through the pack in recent years and this season has been rooted to the rear of the pack.
Its VF-21 is effectively an evolution of a 2019-spec car that has been modified to comply with the regulations and which has not been developed.
Haas has a design facility at Maranello, in an office separate to Ferrari, which supplies power units to the team. It also has offices in Varano, where chassis partner Dallara is based, and in Banbury, in the United Kingdom.
Ex-Ferrari Chief Designer Simone Resta, who joined Haas as Technical Director for 2021, is currently fronting the development of the team’s VF-22.
Haas has regarded next year’s overhauled technical regulations as its opportunity to return to a competitive position within the midfield.
“These are the things that keep me and the whole team going – the future,” said Steiner.
“Going there with Gene, he hasn’t been in Italy for three years, due to COVID-19 he couldn’t come for the last few years.
“I showed him around and how we’ve changed over, how we’ve organised ourselves and how Simone is leading the group.
“I think he was happy with what he saw, and again he looks forward to 2022 like all of us.
“I think we will be ready. Where we end up, I don’t know yet but for sure we will make steps forward.”
Resta says the design team at Haas has revelled in the opportunity to start afresh.
“I believe that the introduction of a new set of regulations represents a unique chance for the team to develop ideas from scratch, as there are no references with existing cars,” said Resta.
“You can see in each engineer’s eyes the fire and ambition to prove they can come up with the best design or concept.
“With a new set of regulations you are trying to develop something that does not exist yet – this is very exciting – and having learned from previous experiences is a key element when affording new challenges aiming to maximise the team result.”
