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Haas F1
Sept 29, 2015 12:09:02 GMT -8
Post by afx on Sept 29, 2015 12:09:02 GMT -8
Romain Grosjean confirmed at Haas F1 for 2016
The Haas F1 team has confirmed Lotus' Romain Grosjean will be one of two drivers for its debut season in 2016.
At an announcement at the team's US base in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Frenchman was unveiled as the team's first driver signing. Grosjean has driven for Lotus since 2012, while he also raced for the team in seven races during the 2009 season under the guise of Renault.
Team owner Gene Haas said Grosjean's F1's experience was key for the team's first season on the grid.
"We wanted an experienced driver capable of developing our car and our race team into one that can score points and better itself each race and each season. We found him in Romain Grosjean," Haas said. "I've been involved in motorsports for a long time and learned early on the most crucial component is the driver. Romain has strong credentials and he will be an important asset to Haas F1 Team."
Grosjean said: "What Gene Haas and everyone at Haas F1 Team is building is impressive, and I'm very proud to be a part of it. Formula One is incredibly competitive and the only way to succeed is by finding new ways of doing things. This is a new opportunity with a new team that is taking a very different approach to Formula One. I believe in their approach and they believe in me. While I am committed to giving my absolute best to my current team in these last five races, I am very excited for what the future holds at Haas F1 Team."
Haas will join the grid next year with a Ferrari power unit and as many components from the Italian outfit as the regulations allows. It has been using Ferrari's Maranello windtunnel since the partnership was confirmed.
Mexican driver Esteban Gutierrez is widely believed to be set for the other drive at Haas, though fellow Ferrari reserve driver Jean-Eric Vergne is also an outside bet. The Grosjean confirmation leaves Lotus without a driver to partner Pastor Maldonado next year at what is looking increasingly likely to be a Renault factory team as the French outfit continues takeover talks with the Enstone team.
Next season will mark team owner Gene Haas' first foray into Formula One, having owned a NASCAR team since 2002. Stewart-Haas, as it became known in 2009, has won two NASCAR Sprint Cup championships (2011 and 2014).
Though based out of Kannapolis, for logistical reasons the team has also purchased Marussia's old factory at Banbury.
I'm happy with this choice.
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Haas F1
Oct 23, 2015 1:55:27 GMT -8
Post by afx on Oct 23, 2015 1:55:27 GMT -8
Haas hint at Gutierrez signing
Esteban Gutierrez looks set to line-up alongside Romain Grosjean at debutants Haas F1 next season, but the team won't be making the announcement in Austin.
The signing of Gutierrez appears to be one of the paddock's worst kept secrets, with the Mexican reportedly set to be confirmed prior to his home grand prix next month.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner revealed what kind of driver the American-based team were looking for.
He said: "Someone who has driven an F1 car, of the current generation, money is always important because it costs a lot of money, and North America is a nice place for a driver to come from."
Ferrari reserve driver Gutierrez certainly fits the bill, having raced with Sauber between 2013 and 2014, and hailing from Mexico.
Gutierrez's links with the Scuderia tie in well with Haas, who have a technical partnership with Ferrari, while the sponsorship money that Gutierrez will reportedly bring would certainly be welcomed by a team making their entrance into F1.
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Post by afx on Nov 2, 2015 8:04:40 GMT -8
Esteban Gutierrez confirmed for Haas' debut season
American outfit Haas has confirmed Esteban Gutierrez as its second driver for the team's debut Formula One season in 2016.
It has been widely known Mexican driver Gutierrez would be unveiled by Haas for some time, with North American heritage and a role as Ferrari reserve driver making him an obvious candidate. Ferrari is supplying Haas with a power unit for 2016, while the American outfit is also accepting as many components from Maranello as are allowed in the regulations.
Gutierrez, who drove for Sauber in 2013 and 2014, will partner current Lotus driver Romain Grosjean, who was unveiled at Haas' North Kannapolis base in late September. The announcement was made in Mexico City after the first day of practice at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodrigeuz ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.
Team boss Gene Haas said: "I got to know Esteban through our relationship with Ferrari, and after looking at the success he's had to earn his role there, it became clear he was an excellent choice for our race team.
"He's young and hungry, but not inexperienced. His two years running a full F1 schedule has given him some very good race experience, and having spent this season at Ferrari as their third driver allowed him to see first hand the methodology that makes Ferrari such a power in Formula One."
"We're very happy to have Esteban as a part of our race team. Between him and Romain, we have a strong driver lineup that will help us develop our car and, ultimately, score some points in our inaugural season."
Gutierrez won the GP3 Series in 2010 before spending two years in GP2, where he finished third in 2012. Two seasons followed at Sauber but he only finished in the points once, at 2013 Japanese Grand Prix where he finished sixth.
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Haas F1
Dec 24, 2015 3:23:10 GMT -8
Post by afx on Dec 24, 2015 3:23:10 GMT -8
Haas to unveil F1 car in February
The Haas Formula 1 Team are expected to unveil their car on February 21 ahead of pre-season testing in Barcelona a day later.
The Haas F1 team will make its F1 debut at March’s Australian Grand Prix. In an interview with Sky Sports, Haas team principal Günther Steiner confirmed that all was on track for the car debut and testing in February.
“It’s only ten weeks, which is not a lot, but the work is going to plan,” Steiner said.
“We are pretty happy, everything seems to come together. The car is the last thing you bring in and the production planning is going well.
“We will start to produce a car in mid-January, we will do the crash test at the beginning of January and then we will start to put one together.
“We will roll it out hopefully the day before the testing starts.”
Former Ferrari reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez and former Lotus driver Romain Grosjean will be the drivers for the new Haas team in 2016.
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Haas F1
Dec 24, 2015 3:24:43 GMT -8
Post by afx on Dec 24, 2015 3:24:43 GMT -8
The Haas Threat
A Ferrari engine, a Dallara chassis and a team owner used to winning the biggest that motor sport has to offer, it is no wonder that rivals are worried about Haas’ debut season.
While in the past many new teams have entered Formula 1 dreaming of immediate points and even podiums in the years to come and then found life tough in the big league, Haas could actually deliver.
They may be denying they are Ferrari’s B-team but with Italian power, parts and expertise all going into the first Haas F1 car they are at least a favoured customer – and there’s never any harm in being favoured by Ferrari.
“A substantial amount of the engine, transmission, suspension will come from Ferrari,” team owner Gene Haas explained to Sky Sports.
Throw in a Dallara chassis – one that Haas reckons in “some ways will be better than a Ferrari chassis”, Gunther Steiner with his years of F1 experience as the team boss, Romain Grosjean as the lead driver and Gene’s millions and the team have all the makings of one that can hit the ground running.
Added to that, having deferred their entry by a year, the American outfit has been exempt from the rules governing wind tunnel usage and have been furiously developing their package.
Already Sauber and Manor, teams that spend their time squabbling at the back for points or to even get near them, have voiced their concerns ahead of Haas’ entry.
“We have a new team coming in which, we learned from the media, has had intensive co-operation with another team, so it’s going to be very tough to score a point,” said Sauber’s Monisha Kaltenborn.
Former Manor man Graeme Lowdon went as far as to tip Haas F1 to be “points scoring pretty much straight away”, something his team has managed just one in four years.
There is no doubt that on paper Haas already looks to be a points-scoring team but F1 takes place on a track, not on paper.
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Haas F1
Dec 26, 2015 11:05:33 GMT -8
via mobile
Post by Art on Dec 26, 2015 11:05:33 GMT -8
Interesting reads, JC. I sporadically watch F1, but following this team will likely keep me interested this year.
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Haas F1
Dec 28, 2015 4:49:28 GMT -8
Post by afx on Dec 28, 2015 4:49:28 GMT -8
Haas on target for first pre-season test
New Formula One team Haas is on target to hit the track at the first test of 2016 on February 22.
Haas will join the grid next year with a car based around as many Ferrari components as is allowed under the regulations. In the past, new teams have struggled to be ready on time but team principal Gunther Steiner is confident his outfit will be on track during the first day of testing in Barcelona in February.
"We are only 10 weeks away from testing, but all the work is going to plan so we are pretty happy," Steiner told Sky Sports. "Everything seems to come together. Our pit equipment is almost all here now and we've done a garage check so when we set up in Barcelona we will be right.
"Obviously, the car is the last thing you bring in and the production planning is going well and we will start to produce a car in mid-January. We will do the crash test at the beginning of January and then start to put one together to get ready for February 22 in Barcelona."
Steiner confirmed the car would be launched at the first test rather than at a standalone event before.
"[We'll launch] in Barcelona. We have no spare time to do anything before so we will roll it out hopefully the day before the testing starts on the Sunday," he added.
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Post by afx on Jan 9, 2016 4:40:22 GMT -8
The first car to be raced by Formula 1 newcomer Haas has passed the mandatory FIA crash tests ahead of the start of pre-season testing next month.
The American team, which has entered into a partnership with Ferrari enabling it to obtain listed parts and an engine from the Italian manufacturer, becomes the 11th team on the F1 grid this season.
Team owner Gene Haas recently said the decision to defer its entry until 2016 had effectively given the new squad "too much time" to prepare for its debut, and it has passed the FIA crash tests with more than one month to go until testing starts.
"Passed FIA crash tests. Next up testing," the team posted on its Twitter account.
Team principal Gunther Steiner told Autosport late last year that the decision to start the season earlier - moving the Australian Grand Prix from April 3 to March 20 - had given Haas an extra challenge.
"It hasn't made things easier," said Steiner. "But we're not getting worried.
"It's the same for everyone. It happened and you need to deal with it.
"Does it make it cheaper? No, but this is what we are dealing with.
"The project is on track and we're confident we'll have the car ready for testing."
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Post by afx on Feb 2, 2016 8:42:35 GMT -8
Haas Formula 1 team set to fire up its 2016 car on February 15
Formula 1 newcomer Haas is on course to fire up its car for the first time later this month.
The American team's challenger is currently with chassis provider Dallara in Italy being assembled ahead of its full unveiling and on-track debut in the first test at Barcelona's Catalunya circuit on February 22.
A week beforehand it is planned for the car, complete with Ferrari power unit, to roar into life.
"Fire up is planned for the 15th," team principal Gunther Steiner told Autosport on a visit to one of the team's trio of bases in Banbury.
"It's all about milestones now. One of those milestones we recently passed was the crash tests.
"That was good. It gave confidence to the engineering team.
"Fire up will be the next significant milestone in Haas' history. Then it will be about getting the car on the track for the first time, then a first race start.
"But fire up for me is a big one. It's exciting, one of those things you look forward to."
For drivers Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez, they will reach their own personal milestone next week with their seat fittings.
"They are in the phase of getting ready physically for the championship," added Steiner.
"They're in the simulator, but it all starts with the seat fit, which is next week.
"They get a seat and then they go racing. That's when it all starts to become real."
Given the long lead time for Haas in preparing for F1 after securing an entry in April 2014, while there have been obvious hurdles to overcome, Steiner sees no major issues looming ahead of the February 22 bow.
"We are at a good point," confirmed Steiner.
"There is a problem a day as the cars are highly complicated, as everybody knows, but we're racers and we're good at solving them.
"We're at that stage where the car is continuously being assembled now, with most of the parts built, so it's all about putting it together.
"But we'll be at the first test, no doubt, rolling the car out on the Monday morning. That is the plan. At the moment I don't see why not."
Steiner is also relaxed when it comes to the role Ferrari has so far played, and will continue to play in the build up to the car taking to the track.
"Ferrari has been very good with the power unit, but we are not their first customer. They've been doing it a long time," said Steiner.
"They add a lot of value because they have done it so many times before. It's a process, and they know exactly what they need.
"Their engineers tell us what is required to start up the engine, and that comes from experience in providing power units to clients.
"I don't think that will be a problem. Maybe something won't work, some software, but you fix it and you start it up. It's the same old story."
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Post by afx on Feb 9, 2016 14:13:11 GMT -8
Romain Grosjean assured by first Haas simulator experience
Romain Grosjean feels Formula 1 newcomer Haas has a strong base on which to develop its car after his first experience of the debut challenger in the simulator.
While Haas puts the finishing touches to the car at the home of chassis-maker Dallara, and ahead of its maiden fire up next week, Grosjean is warming up for his maiden track outing at the first test at Barcelona from February 22 with sim work.
Grosjean's first impressions of the virtual car, at least, have been favourable, believing a platform is now in place for progression.
"The sensations were quite good, even if at first it was necessary to solve lots of small technical problems, such as the throttle response, energy recovery during braking, etcetera," said Grosjean in L'Equipe.
"Once everything was sorted, it was possible to drive well.
"This allowed us to work on the primary settings of the car such as brakes, throttle response, differential, and how the different ride heights impact the aero and how that compares to the calculations in the windtunnel."
Grosjean is aware what he has so far experienced in the simulator could be very different come his first official outing in the car.
"A simulator is always just a guide, but I think the car's baseline appears to be good," added the Frenchman.
""We now know the simulator corresponds to the windtunnel, but the differences with what we find in reality are sometimes huge.
"At Lotus, for example, the car changed dramatically between track and simulator."
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Haas F1
Feb 17, 2016 7:48:23 GMT -8
Post by afx on Feb 17, 2016 7:48:23 GMT -8
Grosjean to debut Haas F1 car
Romain Grosjean says Haas' first goal is to get as much mileage as possible on their new F1 car, which he will be debut at Barcelona.
The Frenchman, who has swapped Lotus for Haas in the off-season, is scheduled to drive the car on the opening day of pre-season testing.
He will then alternate days with his team-mate Esteban Gutierrez, who is making a return to racing having spent last season filling the role of Ferrari's reserve driver.
While many are eagerly awaiting Haas' first run, Grosjean insists ensuring that the car is reliable will be the team's first priority.
He explained: "The first thing for the test is to get the car to run and to work well from there. Hopefully, we can get a lot of mileage.
"This is a new team, so we need to get everyone to work together, all the engineers, mechanics and the drivers.
"We need to get as much data and knowledge as we can.
"It's important to get the reliability sorted as early as possible because we don’t get much testing and we’re going straight to Melbourne."
Pre-season testing gets underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on February 22.
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Haas F1
Feb 21, 2016 16:53:14 GMT -8
Post by afx on Feb 21, 2016 16:53:14 GMT -8
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Post by afx on Mar 3, 2016 3:09:20 GMT -8
Haas chasing laps after Wednesday troubles
Guenther Steiner is confident Haas has solved the turbo issue that wiped out its running on Wednesday and says the team will be chasing laps for the rest of testing.
Esteban Gutierrez completed a solitary installation lap in the morning before returning to the garage, failing to emerge again after an "anomaly" was discovered on the turbo. The problem eventually prevented the Mexican driver from appearing for the rest of the day, meaning reliability has limited the team to 24 laps in the two days at the Circuit de Catalunya this week.
Explaining the problem, team boss Steiner said: "We changed the turbo last night and then this morning there was an anomaly, Esteban went out for the installation lap and it didn't do what it should be doing. We couldn't just say 'change the turbo', we had to analyse and think . That was that, we had to change it again."
Asked what the plan would be for Thursday, when Romain Grosjean returns to the car, he replied: "We will just have to try and get a race simulation in and get as many laps as possible to learn what the car is doing and what other problems we have. The main aim is to get as many laps in as possible. Depending on how tomorrow goes is how we go on Friday.
"It's not a weekly plan, it's an hourly plan, so we could change tact every how depending on how we go tomorrow. Maybe we can be confident we have analysed the problem and made the fix, but you never know what is coming next. I think we will be good to go again tomorrow."
Steiner is unsure whether Haas will change its planned schedule for the next two days to help Gutierrez make up for lost time behind the wheel.
"If tomorrow goes well [for Grosjean] yes, but we discussed it and said let's get to tomorrow night and then we see what you are doing. If we have a good day with Romain we might try to do something. Maybe try to be fair with the drivers, but at the moment Esteban has more driving than Romain so they need to be equal and fair."
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Post by afx on Mar 4, 2016 3:17:57 GMT -8
Gene Haas: 'I was kind of naive' about F1 Gene Haas admits he underestimated the complexity of Formula One and jumped in "without fully understanding" the sport. Haas' first winter of testing has been mixed, with impressive mileage on week one dampened by a string of reliability issues this week. The debuting team struggle with the complexed brake-by-wire system on Thursday, with Romain Grosjean triggering three red flags through various off-track moments. Haas admits the team's recent setbacks have made him realise the depth of the challenges in F1. Asked how F1 compared to NASCAR, where his team has won a championship, Haas replied: "This isn't North Carolina, I've come to realise that! The complexity of the cars and the engines and what they're doing with them is way beyond anything I ever expected. I think the technical aspects of these cars is fascinating, I think the engineers - especially the engineers that are working them and designing them - it's a real challenge to get these cars to do that. So I think it's a challenge on the one hand. "On the other hand, I don't think the fans really understand how complex it is. Even I didn't know. I was kind of naive too about what goes in to make one of these cars run. It is a very complex process, it is a complex car, it's a complex way to race cars, and right now, it's a little bit overwhelming to be honest with you." Haas used the brakes to illustrate his point, pointing out that the lofty expectations some have attributed to him his team are unrealistic as it finds its feet in the sport early this season. "A simple thing like brakes, you can't just go out there and stop on your brakes. You have to basically heat up your brakes to the exact right temperature to get them to work and if they're not at the right temperature they won't work. If you don't do that right you can actually overheat them and theres all sorts of catastrophic things that can happen if you don't do it perfectly. "We jumped in with both feet without fully understanding it but I'm not sure how else you learn by unless you kind of jump in and test the waters. So I think if people were expecting us to go out in the first few races and suddenly compete with the big boys I think that wasn't realistic."
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Haas F1
Mar 4, 2016 14:22:52 GMT -8
Post by Chris K. Hale on Mar 4, 2016 14:22:52 GMT -8
Hmmmmnn.
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