Gene Haas ownned Fomula One team could be Ferrari satellite | Autoweek Question is why? Why not get in line with Honda?
Why Honda? Their last effort was, politely, pretty poor.... I'm sure they'll get there as a power unit supplier, but going with Ferrari, with a years more on track experience seems like a damn good plan to me. This makes a whole bunch of sense to me. Maybe Mariacci does know what he's up to (!) A "B" team ala Red Bull/STR makes sense, and doing it with someone in the US is possibly a stroke of marketing genius! Cheers, Ian
OK, I get what you say Ian. But it appears that Honda is planning to come on strong from the start, certainly they hope to not repeat the past. They have McLaren, and putting on a big push for champion driver. Ferrari, their current effort, to use your words, is pretty poor. Their engines have not been the strongest for a few years. So I still question why Ferrari. There are another two well funded teams that could entertain the "B" team concept.
Why Ferrari? I recently read somewhere that Haas machine tools are being contracted and utilized by Ferrari for the manufacture of factory parts, as well as bespoke tools for Ferrari dealerships globally.
No doubt. They've certainly got the resources..... But I'd be amazed if they do much next year. I may be eating crow here, but I'd still take a year of on track experience over a new entry. They can do all the test bed running and simulations they want, but there remains (thank God ) a significant difference when you actually get 'out there' IMO. It's another of those "intangibles" of motor racing - There's nothing like actual, race (not even testing )running. True. But they're struggling to stay ahead of Force India right now! Further, IIRC, the Mclaren/Honda deal is actually exclusive next season(?) That's all true, but as we know, even a champion driver in an 'average' car is going to be little more than average at best. Neither Ferrari or Renault are that far behind, and (hopefully) next year will be yet closer. IMO, it's not the Merc PU that's giving them the advantage right now either - it's the whole 'package' as they say. Even leaving the potential marketing benefits aside, much less risk going with Ferrari. Even if he could get Honda, huge risk IMO is my point I guess. Cheers, Ian
When I read "satellite" team, I can't help but think back marker. Not fair I guess but I was really hoping they'd come in independent and make a real push to be a contender at some point doing they're own thing.
Interesting thought. Are the Baby Cans ever going to beat the Cans? Probably not I guess...... OTOH, just having the same PU supplier, and maybe some shared technology won't have such an impact? I dunno the answer, and personally still feel he'd be better off to go after an existing team; Rumor is Lopez is getting bored with Fauxtus for example. IMO, he'd be much better served going for them and changing to Ferrari power. Cheers, Ian
Ferrari brand has cachet in the US market. A US team with "Ferrari" associated with it develops headlines and following very swiftly. Daft move Id say.
Yeah I remember people talking about this like 2 months ago when Ferrari put the Haas logo on the F14T.
Did you mean deft? The talk earlier when Haas signed the sponsorship deal with Ferrari is that his team may be for Ferrari what Torro Rosso is for RBR. Sounds like a great idea to me. If the FIA is gonna allow a team to basically have a 2nd team running as a test platform and driver incubator, then Ferrari might as well have one, too.
I had the exact same question!..... He firstly seems to be agreeing with me () that it makes sense, then calls it "daft". +1 Exactly. Cheers, Ian
Of course when Ferrari does what RBR have been doing for years, I'm certain there will be many crying foul.
I hear you Ian and I can tend to agree, however lest us not forget, Ross Brawn essentially dropped a Merc PP into a Honda car or was it something to do with Toyota, (memory fading) and blitzed the field, ok with a DD=?, but ...
As of right now, not very much at all. At least in theory. But, as the article notes; Be interesting to see if he gets anywhere. I know there was talk a while back about allowing teams to buy a lot more components from others in the famous name of cost cutting. Cheers, Ian
So we will likely have: Ferrari engines: Ferrari, Haas, Sauber, Marussia Mercedes: Mercedes, Williams, Force India, Lotus? Renault: Red Bull, Toro Rosso, Caterham, Lotus? Honda: Mclaren Ferrari has already the largest number of certain customer. Now they just need to build an engine to make sure those customers don't monopolise the last three rows of every starting grid.
Maybe this is too simple, since Haas has stated previously that going with Ferrari brings them not JUST the power unit, but a company that can also provide transmission and etc. Am I missing something?
Under the current formula the motor, transmission, and even the regenerative brakes are all of a piece. I don't see what sense it makes to just sell the motor.
