Haas untroubled by new Sauber-Ferrari partnership

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Haas' Guenther Steiner believes the recent partnership signed by Sauber with Ferrari won't impact the US squad's own relationship with Maranello.

Sauber was expected to relinquish its year-old Ferrari engine deal and work with Honda in 2018.

But Fred Vasseur, the Swiss outfit's recently appointed team principal, called off the agreement with the Japanese manufacturer and signed a new multi-year deal with Ferrari which includes a supply of the latest-spec Italian engines.

Steiner doesn't think the partnership will have any negative ramifications for Haas.

"I don't think so. We look after ourselves and our relationship with Ferrari," said the Austrian.

"If they have a relationship with somebody else... We are not asked anyway what we think about it or what they should be doing.

"I think our relationship is strong. I think it will continue as good as it is now. I think without them we wouldn't be where we are right now."

Given its close relationship with Ferrari, Haas was seen as a potential destination for the Scuderia's burgeoning talent.

Vasseur open to running Ferrari juniors at Sauber

But with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen both confirmed with the team for next season, Sauber will likely serve as the F1 training ground for either one of Ferrari's next-in-line hopefuls, Antonio Giovinazzi and Charles Leclerc.

"I think they are both good guys, with very good potential," Steiner said as he assessed the pair.

"How they get into a seat is difficult, Formula 1 in that respect is very difficult. The difficulty is they need to be in the right time at the right place, there is nothing else you can do for it, at the moment you cannot even buy a cockpit at the moment.

"Like when Minardi was around, Minardi was maybe happy to be last, that was their duty to bring drivers up.

"Maybe they were not happy to be last but they could live with it as it was their business model: to develop drivers was their business models.

"It's like when Ricciardo drove the HRT, you knew he was not going to do anything but it gave him experience and that's not there anymore.

"It's maybe a good thing we don't have these teams [running at the back], but maybe a bad thing."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.