Gene Haas 'happy' with advancement of team's 2022 car

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Haas F1 boss Guenter Steiner says team owner Gene Haas liked what he saw when he recently visited the team's design office in Maranello where the US outfit's 2022 car is being developed.

At the end of last year, Ferrari moved several members of its staff to Haas, but the personnel which included the Scuderia's head of chassis engineering, Simone Resta, remained based in a dedicated facility in Maranello.

The reassignments, first and foremost intended to help Ferrari cope with F1's budget cap restrictions, have had little impact on the team's 2021 campaign which was always going to be a transition year for Haas.

But the changes will hopefully deliver their results next season when F1 ushers in its all-new set of regulations that is expected to tighten Grand Prix racing's grid and allow the sport's midfield teams to get in the mix.

"These are the things that keep me and the whole team going – the future," said Steiner.

"Going there with Gene, he hasn’t been in Italy for three years, due to COVID-19 he couldn’t come for the last few years, so I showed him around and how we’ve changed over, how we’ve organized ourselves and how Simone is leading the group.

"I think he was happy with what he saw, and again he looks forward to 2022 like all of us. I think we will be ready.

"Where we end up, I don’t know yet but for sure we will make steps forward."

With all teams starting from a clean sheet for 2022, an opportunity for a reset has emerged, and Resta who is leading Haas' design efforts is excited by next season's prospects.

"I believe that the introduction of a new set of regulations represents a unique chance for the team to develop ideas from scratch, as there are no references with existing cars," said the Italian engineer.

"You can see in each engineer’s eyes the fire and ambition to prove they can come up with the best design or concept.

"With a new set of regulations, you are trying to develop something that does not exist yet – this is very exciting – and having learned from previous experiences is a key element when affording new challenges aiming to maximise the team result."

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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.