Haas Formula Official Announcement

[Jericoke]

This is a transcript of the press conference from racer.com:
http://www.racer.com/f1/item/102755-f1-haas-formula-teleconference-transcript

I haven't read it, just the write up by Norris McDonald:
http://www.wheels.ca/news/did-gene-haas-get-talked-into-entering-formula-one/

Key points:

• Team will be called Haas Formula
• Goal of the team is turn Haas Automation into a worldwide premium tooling brand
• Team principle will be Guenther Steiner, former technical director of Jaguar and RBR for its first 2 seasons
• Haas Formula will be based in North Carolina (NASCAR Country)
• When asked they had no answer as how they will field a car in 9 months time
• He does not consider his current racing staff (Kurt Busch and  Danica Patrick) qualified to race F1 cars
• He expects the first season to be a total loss, even accepting that pit stops will be 2 seconds slower than the competition

[cosworth151]

It looks like they're still deciding between '15 and '16.

“We should know within the next four weeks whether it'll be 2015 or 2016,” Steiner said. “We need to pick a technical partner and go from there. We don't want to jump in and then say, 'Hey, this is wrong.' If it's not doable with a good, professional team by '15, we'll go for '16. We can't do it all ourselves; we'll rely heavily on our partner.”

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140414/f1/140419911#ixzz2yyPYANAm

He does not consider his current racing staff (Kurt Busch and  Danica Patrick) qualified to race F1 cars

....and Tony would never fit in one! 

[F1fanaticBD]

That seems like an honest approach, and willing to wait for result to come. But will it be able to sustain the pressure and have the perseverance of teams like Sauber or not, that is question in my mind. But definitely I applaud their efforts as well as their sheer will power to stack against the odds. 

[Jericoke]

It looks like they're still deciding between '15 and '16.

“We should know within the next four weeks whether it'll be 2015 or 2016,” Steiner said. “We need to pick a technical partner and go from there. We don't want to jump in and then say, 'Hey, this is wrong.' If it's not doable with a good, professional team by '15, we'll go for '16. We can't do it all ourselves; we'll rely heavily on our partner.”

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140414/f1/140419911#ixzz2yyPYANAm

He does not consider his current racing staff (Kurt Busch and  Danica Patrick) qualified to race F1 cars

....and Tony would never fit in one! 

Hopefully if they want to defer a season, they're allowed.  Asking to wait a season is what got USGP kicked out of the sport forever and ever.

There used to be a Honda commercial where a guy on the lot was looking at cars and was asking about a Honda F1 car.  They show him half wedged into the cockpit, gunning the engine, and asking if it comes in blue.  When informed it didn't, he chose a minivan instead.  (Ironically, the commercial was filmed with the white liveried Honda, while the commercial ran during the f1 season that was the 'Earth Car' debacle that was, in fact, painted blue)

[PG_Gabriel]

I think Haas has a much better chance at success than USF1 ever had solely because they are already a well founded racing team. Sure it is a whole new world from NASCAR, but having experience in a top flight of motorsport, must have some benefits when it comes to running a team and dealing with sponsors?

On a driver side they need to get someone who has driven these new machines. I feel Kobyashi or even Verge could be on the table next year. Then for a second driver maybe some American blood. Rossi or Dally spring to mind, but why not look for talent else where? Ryan Hunter-Reay is a phenomenal driver (aside for his move at long beach this weekend..) maybe even give Josef Newgarden a try? He has way outperformed his car in Indycar, and very much could have won long Beach if it wasn't for the earlier mentioned bonehead move by RHR..

[Scott]

“We need to pick a technical partner and go from there. We don't want to jump in and then say, 'Hey, this is wrong.' If it's not doable with a good, professional team by '15, we'll go for '16. We can't do it all ourselves; we'll rely heavily on our partner.”

Though Steiner doesn't say it out loud, I think someone on another thread already said there are likely to be ties with Ferrari.  So I suppose that is their Technical Partner he refers to?   I wonder if Haas may even have had contact with Mattiacci...that might be a handy relationship to already have.  And as Haas is the largest machinist on the planet, there might even be something they can do for Ferrari, if not on the car itself, then perhaps in tool making.

[lkjohnson1950]

Stewart-Haas racing was a shotgun marriage with Chevrolet supplying the shotgun. Haas was a second tier team, but Gibbs had switched to Toyota making both Stewart and Chevy unhappy, so GM placed Tony at Haas with the assurance that Hendrick would supply the go fast bits. Win, win. After that, not sure Haas would hook up with Ferrari given that Ferrari is struggling. But perhaps a Honda-McLaren tie could be on the table since Honda will need someone besides Macca running their engine, and they already have a tie through Mobil 1.

[Jericoke]

“We need to pick a technical partner and go from there. We don't want to jump in and then say, 'Hey, this is wrong.' If it's not doable with a good, professional team by '15, we'll go for '16. We can't do it all ourselves; we'll rely heavily on our partner.”

Though Steiner doesn't say it out loud, I think someone on another thread already said there are likely to be ties with Ferrari.  So I suppose that is their Technical Partner he refers to?   I wonder if Haas may even have had contact with Mattiacci...that might be a handy relationship to already have.  And as Haas is the largest machinist on the planet, there might even be something they can do for Ferrari, if not on the car itself, then perhaps in tool making.

That would be interesting!

Haas' technical partner using Haas' machines to supply parts for Haas!

"Haas is powered by Ferrari.  Ferrari is powered by Haas.  Buy Haas" ^tm

Cheque please.

[Scott]

As expected, Haas is deferring until 2016.  I am not disappointed, I would much rather them spend the time and money to put together the best entry they can rather than rush things and have a disaster on their hands.

http://www.pitpass.com/51707/Haas-defers-F1-entry-to-2016

[Irisado]

It's a sensible move in my opinion.  An entry for 2015 would, most likely, have ended in disaster.

[John S]

I feel they are taking the easy option by deferring, why apply for a grid slot if you don't have a lot of your ducks already lined up?

You can do all the development work you like ahead of entering races but the only real place to hone a car and team is at F1 races. Plenty of wanna be outfits have learnt the hard way there are no rehearsals that can substitute for the actual thing. 

[Scott]

Are you kidding?  The best place to hone a new car is testing as much as possible, and that means far more than the FIA would let them if they started on the grid in 2015.  They can test all year long by deferring.  I think if you asked any F1 engineer if they would rather develop the car on a race weekend or during testing, all would say testing is the best way to go.  They can develop the car program by program, and not be rushed to have things ready for Q or the race.  Too many things pulling the test time in too many directions at a race weekend.  Not so at a testing session.

As for why would they apply if they aren't ready, I would say why spend millions of dollars developing a car and infrastructure if you haven't even been granted a grid spot?  Only logical thing is to apply, get approval - with a caveat to join in either 2015 OR 2016 (obviously the smartest thing they pulled off in that negotiation) - and THEN go spend the money.  He's lining up his ducks perfectly.

I don't feel this is at all the 'easy' option, but the smartest way to go to become a successful team.  Hats off to you Gene...hope you explode into F1 instead of whimper into it like so many others. 

[Jericoke]

I feel they are taking the easy option by deferring, why apply for a grid slot if you don't have a lot of your ducks already lined up?

You can do all the development work you like ahead of entering races but the only real place to hone a car and team is at F1 races. Plenty of wanna be outfits have learnt the hard way there are no rehearsals that can substitute for the actual thing. 

If we continue along the fowl metaphor, while an F1 team needs to get its ducks in a row, they also can't count their chickens until they hatch.

You can't hire people to design and build an F1 team if you don't have an F1 team to build and design for.