Steiner: Haas Success Is Good For F1

They were the first team to join F1 since 2010 where a trio of teams were added to the field. All teams added in 2010 have now fell off the grid due to a lack of success. 

Haas finished in 8th at the end of last season, ahead of McLaren and Sauber. They were only six points behind 7th place finishers Toro Rosso. 

With the mid-field pack seemingly closer together after pre-season testing, it’s half-expected that they’ll improve on that finish come November.

Team boss said Steiner said: “I think it’s good for F1, us coming in, being stable, doing our job, paying our bills. 

“I think what we have to be careful of is that in 2010, three teams came, three teams left a few years later - it was all negative. 

“People said ‘new teams don’t work, they can never make it’. Now Haas came, did it and everybody new coming is doing the Haas story. 

“You always remember the last thing. The last teams all came and went. Now with Haas, it’s they come and it looks like they’re here to stay. 

“We need to be a little bit careful, but I think we have proven that we did a good job. Gene (Haas) did what he said he was going to do. He wanted to come to F1 with a different view, with a business model, and he achieved that.”

As reported last week by FiA president Jean Todt, a number of teams are said to be interested in joining the sport ahead of engine regulation changes in 2021. 

Commenting on this, Steiner sad: “I think for sure they will look at it (how Haas works). If they copy it or not, I don’t know but for sure it’s a model worth looking at for somebody new. 

“I would if I were new. But maybe the new guys coming in have got another idea, a better idea than we had. You never know. 

“I’m not saying that this is the ultimate idea. I won’t be like before saying ‘this will not work’. I was told that many times and it worked. And now everybody says it was the greatest idea.”