Gene Haas: “I believe in American pilots”

The words of Günther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team, a few weeks ago on the fact of seeing an American driver in F1 caused a lot of reaction in the world of motorsport.

Several Americans wanted to respond to Steiner, notably Mario Andretti or certain pilots currently engaged in IndyCar. Gene Haas, owner of the Kannapolis (North Carolina) team, wanted to provide his point of view on this question.

“The fact is that we are still learning in Formula 1, and bringing in a driver who needs to learn the discipline is probably not the best thing for us or for them, explains the American boss.

It's not that we don't want to field an American driver, but the reality is that those who have a superlicense and who could race in F1 should be with a team that can be a reference and not the other way around.

We expect to ultimately be in this position, but we are only in our third year and need to improve in a variety of areas. Romain Grosjean et Kevin Magnussen play a big role in this process because of their experience. »

Gene Haas also recalls the example of his Stewart-Haas Racing structure in Nascar, winning titles numerous times in recent years with top American drivers like Kevin Harvick.

The boss admits to not doubting the level of his compatriots. “This debate about American pilots is really not a debate. I believe in American pilots. There are competent people who can race in F1.

But we're not ready for that yet, and with the limited number of trials available to teams, it would be difficult for someone who hasn't already participated in a development program to get up to speed. I think that's what Günther was trying to say. »