Haas lays out winter plans for US outfit's all-new 2022 car

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner detailed how the US outfit's plans will unfold in the coming weeks as it completes its all-new 2022 car.

Like all F1 teams, Haas relied this past season on its 2020 chassis, updated to this year's specifications.

But the team was hard at work in the back half of the 2021 season putting the finishing touches to its VF22 design, whose chassis was set to undergo its first crash test this week.

"We've done some preliminary crash tests, because you don't do the chassis complete straight away, you do a part of it," Steiner explained.

"We have made good development on our crash test. I think it's end of December, just before Christmas, that the final crash test is planned.

"We are ready for that one and, hopefully, we pass it - that is the aim."

Last year's car which was derived from Haas' 2019 design didn't require a preliminary assembly by at partner Dallara's factory in Italy.

But ahead of 2022, Haas' all-new machine will be built up once again by Dallara in Varano.

"The car will be assembled before, and this year we assemble it again in Italy, like we did before," confirmed Steiner. "We didn't do that last year because it was an existing car.

"It was the car from 2020, which we just rebuilt and changed a few parts.

"But we are going to send it again to Italy, because all the technical people are there and a lot of the parts are made by Dallara, so it's better to be in their facility when we assemble the first car and then, from there, we take it to Spain."

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Pre-season testing will kick off on February 23 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona where teams will enjoy three days of running, with an additional three days of testing taking place in Bahrain from March 11 to 15.

Once again, Haas' charger will be powered by a Ferrari power unit that will feature a heavily revised internal combustion engine.

Steiner says he's been "very encouraged" by the feedback he's received from Maranello on its new power plant.

"I think Ferrari makes good progress with the combustion engine, not only with the hybrid system for next year, but it's the same case as with the car," he said.

"We don't know what the other ones [engine manufacturers] are doing.

"I know that they [Ferrari] said we will make a nice step next year, so I hope that works and I hope the other ones have not done a mega job!

"It's very encouraging to see that they made the development and it works. The results have come a lot better towards the end of the season for them as well."

On the drivers front, Haas will once again entrust its car to Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin who will both undertake their second season in Formula 1.

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