Haas Formula 1 boss Guenther Steiner has downplayed suggestions that not carrying out a pre-Austria test will hurt the team’s prospects.
Several Formula 1 teams have or will run either their current cars or two-year-old machinery in order to get drivers back up to speed and to practice new hygiene and social distancing measures.
Ferrari and AlphaTauri are due to run in the coming days while Mercedes, Renault and Racing Point have been in action in recent weeks.
But Haas is one team that will head straight into the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix, scheduled for July 5, without gathering beforehand.
“We are not having a shakedown,” said Steiner. “Obviously you would need to use a filming day and also we don’t have the capacity.
“The drivers are ready to go. I don’t think they need a lot of training. It’s nice to do but for us at the moment it’s not a priority to do a shakedown.”
Steiner acknowledged that for those teams who will run their cars before Austria it “is an advantage, I wouldn’t deny that, but it isn’t big.
“Our guys are working in the factory in Banbury to put the car together. They have to do social distancing there while they work. So I’m not worried about that one.
“And for sure we practiced the new protocols in the garage instead of out on the track.
“It’s used a little bit as an excuse to do a shakedown, which I guess if you have the finances you do it to be sure, but we take a little bit more risk in these things because I know we have got good people and we will deal with it the best we can and be in the best position we can be for Austria.
“Could we do a shakedown? Yes. Are you worried? No.”
