Brawn: ‘Vital’ to have Haas in Formula 1
Haas are "vital" to Formula 1 says managing director Ross Brawn.
Formula 1’s managing director Ross Brawn insists that Haas are “vital” for Formula 1’s growth in the US market.
The American outfit joined the series back in 2016, enjoying a close relationship with Ferrari, leading some to see them as almost a Ferrari B team.
Haas have been competitive since their arrival, securing P5 in the Constructors’ Championship last season, but 2019 has proven to be a difficult year.
Along with the saga of their former title sponsor Rich Energy, Haas have struggled on-track to understand their VF-19 and currently sit P9 in the standings.
However, Kevin Magnussen scored their first points since Germany at the Russian GP, and Brawn hopes this is the start of a turnaround, because they are “vital” to Formula 1 if the series wants to grow its American audience.
“After finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship last year, Haas started this season with the hope of consolidating its progress,” said Brawn as quoted by Motorsportweek.com.
“But unfortunately they seem to be going backwards, especially in the races, although they’ve been a bit better in qualifying.
“At one point it seemed the team was in a vicious circle from a technical point of view, but Gunther Steiner’s men are back on track, dismantling the puzzle pieces put in place to date and reassembling the jigsaw all over again.
“Gene Haas’ team is a valuable asset for Formula 1. It is the first example of a new team establishing itself in a sport that for too many years has seen teams come and go in a short space of time, without ever really making their mark.
“It’s also important because it flies the US flag in a sport that is generally Euro-centric. It is vital for Formula 1 that we continue to support the growth in interest in the sport in the USA and in the absence of an American driver a Stars ‘n’ Stripes team fulfils that role.
“Let’s hope therefore that Haas is on the up in this final part of the season and maybe they can even get a good result at their home race in Austin.”
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