Haas F1 Team is not here to be last – Steiner

Haas team principal Günther Steiner says the US outfit does not intend to make up the numbers in Formula One, as it prepares to enter the sport in 2016.

Gene Haas’s eponymous squad will be the first team to make its F1 debut since HRT, Caterham and Virgin joined the top echelon in 2010. Only the latter is still competing, though under the Manor Marussia moniker, but the small British structure has never really left the back of the grid in six years.

After securing the services of Lotus ace Romain Grosjean and Ferrari test driver Esteban Gutierrez, Steiner is confident Haas’ different approach and strong technical partnership with Maranello will pay dividends.

“We are not here to be last,” Steiner told USA TODAY Sports. “It sounds almost arrogant. I don’t want to be arrogant, but we will not (be) happy being last. Just participating is not what Gene or the team wants to do.

“He’s not trying to be a genius and more clever than anybody. He listens to people. We try to keep all the unnecessary stuff out, keep it simple. Keep focused on going racing and not all that other stuff.”

Haas’ close links with Ferrari recently came under scrutiny following a request from Mercedes to clarify their collaboration. Although the FIA sided with the world champions and plans on preventing such a partnership in future, no sanction will be given to the two partners since the regulations were deemed too ambiguous in the first place.

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