F1 News, Reports and Race Results

With budget cap looming, Haas favours slow growth

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner says the US outfit needs to grow but it will keep its expansion in check with a potential budget cap sitting on Formula 1's horizon.

Haas concluded its third season of Grand Prix racing with its best campaign to date, finishing fifth in the Constructors' standings and almost doubling its points tally from 2017.

The team's achievements surpassed its own expectations, and came as a surprise to Steiner himself.

"I think we surprised a lot of people," Steiner told Autosport. "I mean, did we surprise ourselves? A little bit I would say.

"We were aiming for sixth, we were fighting for fourth and we finished fifth. So yes, it's a bit of a surprise.

"But then again, like always, [with] everybody competitive, if you get this close to fourth you would like to have fourth. But then at least we will try again next year."

Haas relies on a business model - much decried by its rivals - centered around a close technical collaboration with Ferrari and Dallara, which produces the outfit's chassis.

While criticized, the partnership with the Scuderia has yielded excellent results and is set to continue in the future. Haas will be seeking to expand on its own however, but Steiner insists that the team's growth will only happen at a moderate pace.

"I believe that it's better to grow slowly," he said. "Just throwing money and people, that normally doesn't work," said the Italian.

"A lot of people tried that one and it didn't work. We [also] don't want to start with doing everything ourselves because a lot of clever people tried and it didn't work. So again it just takes time.

"The only thing you cannot buy in life is time. But everything else you can buy, So I think we need to keep on growing.

"Do we need to grow? Yes, absolutely. But I don't want to go at the speed of 200-300 people a year, because at the moment we have got 160," added Steiner.

"And we don't know what the regulation for 2021 is. What's the point of trying to do something, which then you don't do again?"

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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.

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