The new American Haas F1 Team, which is set to join Formula 1's ranks next season, has dropped its strongest hint yet that former Sauber driver and current Ferrari test driver Esteban Gutierrez is the most likely man to partner recently-signed Romain Grosjean in 2016.
While Haas revealed that it would not be making an announcement this weekend in Austin regarding its second driver, team principal Gunter Steiner, when asked what type of driver his team was looking for, outlined a profile which perfectly lines up with the young Mexican's credentials.
"Someone who has driven an F1 car, of the current generation, money is always important because it costs a lot of money, and North America is a nice place for a driver to come from.," Steiner said.
Esteban Gutierrez is rumored to have retained the support and backing of his Mexican sponsors which brought him his Sauber seat for two seasons while his association with Ferrari blends well with Haas' own technical partnership with Maranello.
Team owner Gene Haas confirmed to F1i in Monza that Gutierrez was set to drive for the team in 2016 season as Ferrari's preferred choice.
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