Haas

Gene Haas, the CEO of Haas F1 Team, made his fortune in the production of machine tools. Alongside NASCAR legend Tony Stewart, he already owned a team in the American racing class before deciding to start a Formula 1 team in 2016.

The Haas F1 Team: A Global Operation

Although Haas officially has its headquarters in Kannapolis, United States, the team primarily operates from a base in Banbury, England. Later, a branch was also established in Maranello, close to the engine supplier Ferrari. With Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez as the driving pair, Haas made a flying start at the 2016 Australian GP, where Grosjean raced from a nineteenth starting position to sixth place. Grosjean scored all 29 points that year, while Gutiérrez did not meet expectations and was replaced by Kevin Magnussen in 2017.

Double Points Finish

The new duo managed to repeat the 2016 performance by finishing eighth in the constructors’ standings. A double points finish in Monaco was one of the highlights. 2018 was the year of the big breakthrough, both in terms of sporting achievements and popularity. In Australia, Grosjean and Magnussen qualified fifth and sixth, each gaining a position until both stops disastrously failed.

Wheels came off and the double DNF was captured on camera by Netflix for the first season of Drive to Survive. Team boss Günther Steiner cursed everything in front of the world and instantly became a cult hero, a status he maintains to this day. 2018 ended with a fifth place in the constructors’ standings, still the team’s best performance.

The Sponsorship Saga

The team, however, is struggling to survive. Initially, their success attracts a promising sponsor: energy drink manufacturer Rich Energy becomes the title sponsor and aims to rival Red Bull. The grand claims of founder William Storey soon backfire. The car is fast over a single lap in 2019, but struggles to perform on Sundays. Storey causes a stir when he unexpectedly announces on Rich Energy’s official Twitter account that the sponsorship is being discontinued. That same weekend, drivers Magnussen and Grosjean literally collide on the track, an incident that is, of course, captured by the Netflix team.

The team’s eventual ninth-place finish in 2019, their worst result to date, marks the beginning of a lean period. 2020 yields a meager two points, but this pales in comparison to the terrifying accident Romain Grosjean experiences in Bahrain. His car splits in two and catches fire after a crash in the first lap. Grosjean narrowly escapes death, and it turns out to be his last race in F1. Magnussen also leaves, and Haas recruits two rookies for 2021: Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

The Return of Nico Hülkenberg

Both rookies contribute significantly in their own ways. Schumacher brings his relationship with Ferrari and the associated engines, while Mazepin brings a hefty bag of sponsorship money from his father’s company, Urulkali. “With Schumacher and Mazepin, we can look forward to many years,” believes team boss Steiner. However, the two are not the most talented drivers and have to make do with a ‘second-hand’ car at Haas: the car is barely developed, with major changes planned only when the rules are overhauled in 2022. The season starts tumultuously when both Mazepin junior and senior have to step down following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The situation has led to a reunion with Kevin Magnussen, who will be flown in to compete for the team this season. Schumacher and Magnussen manage to secure an eighth place, but it’s not enough for Schumacher: Haas does not renew his contract and opts for the experience of Nico Hülkenberg in 2023. The German driver impresses in the first half of the season, particularly in the qualifying sessions for Haas. Will this put him back in the spotlight for the larger teams and can he look forward to a successful second career in Formula 1, just like Fernando Alonso?

Haas F1 Team Overview