Steiner and Haas drivers respond to 'Ferrari clone' jibe

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner hit back at those who claim the US outfit's new VF-18 is just a mere clone of Ferrari's 2017 car.

Since its arrival in F1 in 2016, Haas has enjoyed a close technical collaboration with the Scuderia, exploiting not only the Italian manufacturer's power unit but also part of its drivetrain and rear suspension.

Even the bodywork of its VF-18 appears to have been derived from Ferrari SF70-H, a resemblance which wasn't lost on McLaren's Fernando Alonso who labeled the car a "Ferrari clone", a remark which somewhat irritated Haas' Steiner.

"Before you talk, you should know what you're talking about," he said.

"Everyone has their opinion and I have mine, and we can be proud of our accomplishments. We are not doing anything we cannot or should not do," he insisted.

• Force India's Szafnauer suggests F1 address 'cloning' à la Haas

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen believes Alonso's remark was simply rooted in envy given the impressive performance of the VF-18 compared to McLaren's MCL33.

"Of course it annoys him that we are ahead of him," said the Dane.

"I've been at McLaren and saw their infrastructure, and if you compare that to us, it's going to annoy you."

Magnussen's teammate Romain Grosjean says the similarities between his mount and last year's Ferrari are logical.

"We use the same gearbox and suspension, and everyone knows that the suspension determines the airflow," he said.

"The longer the season goes on, the bigger the gap to the top teams will become. We just cannot keep up with them," he added.

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter