Haas in the depths, Andretti in the balcony?

If we assume that the popularity of Guenther Steiner had become over the seasons the major asset of the team Haas, if we agree that he was this “plus” that each team must place in the common basket as expected by the FOM, his departure leaves the structure based in Banbury (United Kingdom), Maranello (Italy), and Kannapolis (USA) without the slightest singularity except for his American nationality.

Thanks to the unique personality of the Italian manager, star of the series “Drive to survive”, she was able to attract the spotlight. In the absence of results, at least she had the favor of the media and the sympathy of the public. Haas F1 Team, by dint of stagnating, was rooted in complacency and the back of the grid, but the acting of the indescribable Guenther with his truculent diction made us forget the grayness of the team's daily life. Was it for the latter's good or to flatter his ego that Steiner became this leading figure in the Netflix casting, with his name in large letters at the top of the poster?

Even the barely speckled foil duels between Toto wolff and Christian Horner ended up taking a back seat; That says it all! Did Gene Haas end up taking offense at this too much notoriety? Was he hurt to find himself also relegated to the background while the media happily talked about the charismatic Steiner's team, without ever naming him? We can think so even if Haas would never have brought the eponymous team to the baptismal font without the 200% involvement of Steiner and, as we have just pointed out, without the media weapon that ended up being 'Italian.

What is surprising in the latter's ouster is not so much that Gene Haas did not have the heart to laugh after another fall to last place in the Constructors' championship, it is that he does not seem having taken the measure of one's own responsibility.

Gene Haas is reluctant to invest more in his F1 team. / © DPPI

Gene Haas' chilliness

The American businessman is doing F1 like in 2016 when the fledgling team was immediately in the points. At that time, a good partnership with Dallara, which produced the chassis, and Ferrari, which supplied the engine and rear axle, was enough to guarantee a fair level of competitiveness. It was the time when the Sauber teams, Williams and even Force India, although competitive, had to fight for their survival.

This is no longer the case thanks to the capped budget, an increase and better distribution of F1 income, but also heavier investments on the part of the teams. Gene Haas, on the contrary, and despite Steiner's injunctions, never put his hand in his pocket, confirming the adage “he who does not advance goes backwards”.

Today, the man swears to his great gods that he is not in Formula 1 to be 10th. Good, but is he ready to bear the cost necessary for the eponymous team to rise to the level required by the F1 Group which asks everyone to adhere to the idea of ​​10 healthy and efficient teams? In the meantime, Haas is struggling and going against what F1 wants to achieve with its so-called franchise model.

Ironically, this same FOM refuses Andretti-Cadillac the right to compete in Formula 1 because it doubts the seriousness of the company and its ability to bring a “plus” to the championship. But what exactly does the Haas F1 Team bring to the premier category of motorsport?

Cadillac has registered as an F1 engine manufacturer with the FIA ​​with the ambition of being ready to equip the Andretti team by 2028. / © Cadillac

An opening for Andretti?

The answer cannot be to just fly the star-spangled banner on the grid since it is an argument that it refuses to the Andretti clan even if the surname of Super Mario, 1 F1978 world champion, is in itself synonymous with sport car in Uncle Sam's country! Can the Andretti clan, supported by General Motors, take advantage of the earthquake caused by Steiner's dismissal?

The opportunity has never been better for Michael, son of Mario, and his associates to prove their legitimacy, to proclaim that the American team – 100% moreover since powered by a Yankee powertrain – is on the grid, it 'is she ! Today, in the balance, there is on one side Haas which is stagnating and on the other Andretti Global which has the support of General Motors with Cadillac as engine supplier, a name like no other and the desire to bring an American driver for juice at the highest level. In short, there is no match except that one is in the place and the other is not.

Could Andretti slip a new buyout offer to Gene Haas? This is unlikely because the door has already been closed in his face and, above all, the American industrialist does not want to hear about it. He is convinced, the partnership with Ferrari and Dallara can only bear fruit, and it is Steiner who bears the weight of the failure. If this is really the case, we will quickly find out!

In the meantime, it is the Andretti Global project which indirectly wins from this great public unpacking. It is funded, ambitious and capable of generating interest around F1 in the USA that only the picturesque Guenther has really been able to generate so far. But to create real excitement in this patriotic country, you need the complete “package” that Andretti and Cadillac offer. The offer is now free of its biggest detractor, the lively Steiner having never held back from mocking the plans of the American rival.