Haas sign American teenager

Haas have named American teenager Santino Ferrucci as their development driver for the 2016 F1 World Championship.

The 17-year-old, who will race for DAMS in the GP3 Series this season, will be embedded with Haas F1 Team at every opportunity, attending races and tests throughout the year while also participating in the team's simulator program.

“My goal since I first started racing was to become a Formula One driver, and to be an American who is part of an American team is something I take a tremendous amount of pride in,” said Ferrucci.

“There is still a lot of work I need to do, but being paired with Haas F1 Team will allow me to learn more and at a faster rate. It’ll allow me to make the most of my GP3 drive with DAMS and, ultimately, prepare me for Formula One.”

Team boss Guenther Steiner hailed the potential of the Connecticut racer.

“In Formula One, developing your personnel is as important as developing your racecar. You can’t have one without the other,” he said.

“Santino Ferrucci has done a very good job of proving himself in each of the racing series he’s competed in, and his maturity outside of the racecar is impressive. We see Santino as a young, American driver with a lot of potential. His opportunity with DAMS is an excellent way for him to further his development while positioning Haas F1 Team for future success.”