F1 Madness

Tag: haas f1

  • Romain Grosjean Announced as Haas F1 Driver from 2016

    Romain Grosjean Announced as Haas F1 Driver from 2016

    Romain Grosjean was confirmed by Haas F1 Team Founder Gene Haas as one of their drivers for the 2016 Formula 1 Season.

    Grosjean made his debut for Renault in 2009 and was then on the sidelines for two years. He then got a drive with Lotus in 2012. The Frenchman will leave the troubled Lotus team at the end of this year and will join Haas F1 new team from 2016.

    The announcement was made by Team Founder Gene Haas and Team Principal Guenther Steiner at their headquarters in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

    Gene Haas said, at the announcement, that he wanted a driver with experience to lead the team in 2016.

    “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,” said team founder Gene Haas.

    “We found him in Romain Grosjean”

    “I’ve been involved in motorsport 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.”

    When asked about his decision to join the team Grosjean said that he is impressed with Haas’ approach and he liked the close link to Ferrari.

    “What Gene Haas and everyone at Haas F1 Team is building is impressive, and I’m very proud to be a part of it,” Grosjean said.

    “I liked the fact at Haas is a different operation. I liked the relationship with Ferrari. I’m happy with the decision.

    “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.”

    It’s an inspired move from Grosjean. Moving into a new team is always a daunting task. Moving to a team that is just entering Formula 1 is something on another level. It’s going to be a very tough road for Grosjean. If he is successful with the team it could turn out to be one of the best moves of his F1 career. Not to mention the very close ties Haas F1 has with Ferrari. There could be a Ferrari seat with Grosjean’s name on it in the future.

  • Live: Haas F1 Driver Announcement

    Live: Haas F1 Driver Announcement

    Watch the live driver announcement by the Haas F1 Team

  • Haas F1 Team Gets Technical Boost

    Haas F1 Team Gets Technical Boost

    The Haas Formula 1 team, which is run by Gene Haas the NASCAR team owner, has made some key appointments in the technical and aerodynamic departments as they prepare for their debut in 2016.

    Ben Agathangelou will take up the role as chief aerodynamicist while Dave O’Niell becomes the team manager. These appointments comes a few weeks after former Red Bull Chief Designer Rob Taylor was announced as Chief Designer at Haas F1.

    Agathangelou was recently at Ferrari where he overseen the upgrade of their wind tunnel facility in Maranello. Prior to Ferrari he was Chief Designer at Red Bull until Adrian Newey replaced him. He stayed on at Red Bull until 2007.

    Dave O’Niell was previously at Marussia from 2009 where he held a managerial role in the team. Before his time at Marussia He was the team manager at Jordan from 1998 till 2005.

    Taylor was at Marussia prior to joining Haas where he held the role as deputy chief designer.Prior to Marussia, Taylor was the senior design team leader at McLaren from April 2006 through December 2010. Before McLaren, Taylor was head of vehicle design for Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso and Jaguar beginning in 2002. Senior design roles at Arrows (1997-2002) and Scuderia Ferrari (1992-1997) were achieved after stints at Cosworth (1987-1989) and Benetton (1989-1992). Taylor’s role with Haas F1 Team marks his 28th year in Formula One, a tenure that has provided a range of experience in all disciplines of Formula One design.

    The team have already built a 60% scale model of the car they will race in 2016 and have logged a considerable number of hours in the Ferrari wind tunnel.

    “While there is still a lot of work to do, a lot has already been accomplished for Haas F1 Team to be competitive when we join the F1 grid in 2016,” said Team Principal Gunther Steiner.

    “Our technical partnership with Ferrari has allowed us to develop our car and our people at an exceptional pace. The way we’re going about our F1 team is new and different, but it’s working.

    “We’re committed to our plan, we’re committed to F1 and, most importantly, we’re on schedule. This time next year, our cars will have already been tested and we’ll be readying them for Melbourne.”

  • Haas F1 Team and Ferrari Agree on Multi-Year Engine Deal

    Haas F1 Team and Ferrari Agree on Multi-Year Engine Deal

    Ferrari announced that it has reached a multi-year technical agreement with Haas F1.

    The deal will mean that Ferrari will supply the power unit, transmission and technical support to the American based Haas F1 team.

    Ferrari Team Principal Marco Mattiacci made the announcement earlier today.

    “We’re delighted to announce this important strategic partnership with Haas F1 Team and to welcome an American player as a new entrant in Formula 1”, said Mattiacci.

    ““A few months ago we joined forces with Gene Haas on a commercial level and this is the natural next step of our growing relationship.”

    Mattiacci added that the deal could extend to beyond a supply arrangement, given Ferrari’s commercial interests in the United States.

    ‘While our objective is to reinforce our power unit development programme for all our customer teams , we believe this new partnership has the potential to evolve beyond the traditional role of supplying our power unit and all related technical services. United States continues to be one of the most important markets for Ferrari and it offers many interesting opportunities. We look forward to supporting Haas F1 Team in its efforts to become a competitive player on the Formula 1 grid.”

    Gene Haas, the owner of Haas F1 hailed the agreement and hopes that the agreement will bring them to the front of the F1 grid.

    “There is no team in Formula One more accomplished than Scuderia Ferrari, and no team with more history,” said Haas

    “They’ve been a part of Formula One from the beginning, and now they’ll be a part of Haas F1 Team’s beginning. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsports. It showcases the latest technology and is the most competitive form of racing in the world. Aligning Haas F1 Team with such a tenured and successful company in Scuderia Ferrari provides our team with the greatest opportunity for success in 2016 and beyond.”

     

    Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1