While Haas is currently centre-stage of F1 news over the winter break, they could face even greater scrutiny over the coming months. Should the US team fail to deliver results, pressure will only continue to mount.
There has been a cascade of articles and reports about Haas and Guenther Steiner in recent days.
More specifically, however, owner Gene Haas is under the microscope. In previous F1 campaigns, the narrative surrounding the team’s performance has been elsewhere.
From 2019-2022, for example, the drivers often received the lion’s share of responsibility for success or failure. From Kevin Magnussen to Nikita Mazepin to Mick Schumacher, this is where the attention was fixed.
However, the situation changed drastically last year. A poor VF-23 machine meant that points were rarely available, despite Nico Hulkenberg’s best efforts in qualifying.
Although Haas also finished P10 in the standings in 2021, this was a largely managed retreat. Steiner’s personnel essentially sacrificed that year to focus on the development of the new regulations.
The same cannot be said of last year’s points haul, which sparked big-picture conversations between Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner.
With the 58-year-old no longer overseeing the American team’s progress, 2024 will mark a new chapter at Haas. Perhaps just as significantly, however, Simone Resta also departed from his role as technical director.
The Italian engineer disagreed with owner Gene Haas about what direction to pursue in development. As a result, there are questions to be answered about the team’s package for this year.
“My biggest concern is when we go to Bahrain,” admits Gene Haas.
“We need to show up with a car that is ready to go. Maybe having more of a managerial-type and engineering approach – we’ll see if that has benefits.”
Evidently, this does not paint a positive picture for their 2024 chances.
Even without the unexpected departure of Steiner and Resta, Haas was at a disadvantage. It was is secret that they failed to make any tangible improvement last season.
Fears that Haas will perform even worse in the upcoming campaign are now legitimate. The latest change in leadership reflects a last-minute change in direction.
Moreover, it emphasises the lack of clarity and confidence in a team already suffering numerous deficiencies.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
