HaasF1 with positive seasonal balance
06.12.2016
S The thankless 11th place again. For the eighth time this season. Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez finished 11th and 12th in Abu Dhabi. Guenther Steiner takes it from the relaxed side: “If we had scored a point eight times, we would not have been further ahead in the World Cup. But every point more would have cost us more money with the team license, the super driver license and the point bonuses for the drivers. ”
HaasF1 finished 8th in its first Formula 1 season with 29 points . Space. That brings in 2017 around $ 20 million placement money from Bernie Ecclestone's cash register. If the racing team makes it into the top ten again in 2017, another 35 million will be added in the following season. But that is still a long way off. First Steiner looks back on the past season: “It was up and down, but I think we did well on the bottom line. We are the best newcomer in the last 20 years. ”
Stability has to get better at HaasF1
What is important to Steiner:“ We kept what we promised. ”It would be more was possible, but the US boys tick that off as a beginner's bad luck. Perhaps the most painful of Grosjean's accident was on the way to the grid in Brazil. “That can't happen if you start in seventh place. Sainz started from 15th place and ended up sixth. More was possible that day. ”
Stability also needs to be improved. With 10,689 kilometers of racing, HaasF1 is only in penultimate place. The technology was used seven times for a total of 10 failures. Ferrari was responsible for four of the defects. These include the damage to the MGU-K, the brake-by-wire, the transmission and the loss of a wheel in Malaysia. The wheel hub, wheel nut and rim are identical to the components from their big brother.
The newly assembled team has grown together over the course of the year. At the beginning of the season, only 50 percent of the processes fit, now it is 75 percent. The team has grown by 20 people to 200 employees. 80 work at Dallara, 80 at the factory in Banbury and the remaining 40 at the headquarters in Kanapolis. This is where the administration, the processing of all milled parts and the construction of the wind tunnel models are located, which are then tested at Ferrari in Maranello.
100 percent on the 2017 car since July
The second year is always the most difficult. Even if you have a partner like Ferrari who takes the biggest chunks off your hands so that you can concentrate on the essentials.The lap time is mainly due to the aerodynamics. HaasF1 has been working on the 2017 car since March 2016. “Initially 50 to 50 percent with the current model. From July to 100 percent ”, reveals Steiner.
The new chassis is on schedule. On January 10th, the FIA signed up for the complete crash test and load tests. The new Ferrari engine is already running on the test bench. The gearbox is under construction. Ferrari has to step up. There was too much damage this year. At the factory racing team and the satellite teams. Steiner is not afraid of 2017: “We have respect for the second year, but not afraid. Everyone knows that it will be harder than the first year. But we are well prepared for it. ”
