Haas will not be Ferrari 'B-team'
ByAutoSport
Published 02/05/2015 at 19:07 GMT
The new Haas Formula 1 outfit says it will not be a Ferrari 'B-team' when it makes its debut next season despite its technical partnership with the Scuderia.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Last September, Ferrari announced a multi-year deal to be the American outfit's engine supplier. (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115679)
Haas will also take advantage of rule tweaks that reduce the amount of components a team must make itself - with Ferrari will supplying all 'non-listed' parts.
That means the suspension mounting points, brakes, suspension uprights, pedal box, steering rack and fuel cell will all come from Ferrari's Maranello base.
DIETER RENCKEN GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AT HAAS
Haas team principal Gunther Steiner says the chassis and bodywork will be done by Haas and he expects the team's debut challenger to "look different" to the Ferrari.
"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."
Steiner added that Haas is aiming to contend for points from the outset in 2016.
"[The goal is] to be respectable," said Steiner. "Qualifying lower to mid-grid...12th, 14th, something like this, and knocking on the door of points initially. Then who knows?
"We want to score as many points as possible next year - I can give you one stupid answer, I've got the freedom of one stupid answer without facts!
"We'll review those objectives every year."
The team has ruled out running a test car this season, as it waits for its official entry to be confirmed by the FIA, because of the cost.
"It would cost too much just to go testing, and then you would have an old car anyway," said Steiner.
"We'll start testing when testing opens in February next year or whenever, and do simulations before then."
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