Haas - American team in F1

[xpensive]

The comparison between USF1 and the Haas effort is actually not totally irrelevant, USF1 also tried to keep it simple;

[flyboy2160]

I predict just another spectacular, money wasting, failure for all the reasons people have listed above. If Haas thinks it has enough money to fund a whole team, wouldn't that have been better spent by partially sponsoring several F1 teams? How about the resulting ads - like those I've seen for, say, Siemans - that tout how the companies' technology helps XXX team win? Going the Full Monty makes no sense to me.

[xpensive]

But the point esteemed moderator, is that Haas has already earned megabucks worth of market value from this publicity stunt.

For free.

I still believe that is all there is to it.

[Radley]

Haas has the experience to take it to the F1 level. They field 4 race cars each week for 36 races. They're all ready doing things like flying 100+ people each race. They have organizational skills all ready in place. They have a world class wind tunnel, they have 7 poster rigs.

After reading through the press conference transcript, I'm really excited.

Radley

[countersteer]

What are the testing limitations for a new team? Also, and possibly related, what are the testing limitations on Honda as it prepares for a 2015 entry?

Stretching waaaaaaayyyy out here, and connecting a lot of dots. What would the opportunity be for Haas to ink a technology deal with McLaren and sign a deal with Honda as a supplier. Honda and McLaren would supply everything rear of the monocoque.

Haas could partner with Elan Technologies (3 hours down the road from Kannapolis, NC in Brazelton, GA) for the chassis. The test mule could be (relatively quickly) based off of the Panoz DP01.

They could be pounding out miles at Road Atlanta rather quickly. Haas would get something that works that gets them on the grid. Honda/McLaren gets a LOT of test miles above and beyond the limitations for existing teams. A bespoke chassis could be developed in the meantime. (By who with what expertise is another question...)

I can't see a 2015 debut happening without some really strong partnerships with existing operations.

If allowed extra testing, what tires would they use? If the race Pirellis aren't available, would they use the Indy spec Firestones given the obvious differences?

[Jersey Tom]

If the race Pirellis aren't available, would they use the Indy spec Firestones given the obvious differences?

I sure wouldn't.

[flyboy2160]

But the point esteemed moderator, is that Haas has already earned megabucks worth of market value from this publicity stunt.

For free.

I still believe that is all there is to it.

[takes the podium with an esteemed flourish]

X, yes, Haas certainly got some free publicity, but won't he lose some of that when he backs off? Won't people say: "Ha! Told you so! You just shot from the hip before you knew what you were really getting into. Not very confidence inspiring."

They are a less than $US1B company. How are they going to do this when Ferrari at several times their size is floundering? Where are they going to get all the cash? From sponsors like the other non-factory teams?

I'd like (pay even) to see Gene and this plan on Shark Tank.

[XRayF1]

But the point esteemed moderator, is that Haas has already earned megabucks worth of market value from this publicity stunt.

For free.

I still believe that is all there is to it.

I do not believe the 'for free' statement is true. Or at least not entirely.

As far as I know, once your application for founding an F1 team is in, you have to pay some ... 120k€, or there about.
If accepted, you have to place a substancial deposit/bond in favour of FIA. A couple of years ago it was in the region of 50 million USD, if I am not mistaken with the currency. Suzuki & HRT can sing a song about this. If you can not be on the grid for the first race the deposit becomes forfeit.

I honestly do not know which stage Haas currently is in and if he has put this significant amount of money in front of them yet (if he already has, it would indicate a start in 2015, I suppose), but the whole 'stunt' was not entirely free.
Perhaps best value for the money ...

Really hope, it's no publicity stunt

[Richard]

Can anyone interpret this? Perhaps something has been lost in translation?

If you ever watched some of the older movies like Grand Prix and whatever, they actually had actual footage of some of the Grand Prix races. They had people watching in the streets. They watched the cars go by at 180 miles an hour. Things have changed a lot since the last Americans have been involved in there. I think you get the impression that sometimes people think that the European way of racing is so much more advanced than the Americans. But we're the most advanced country on the planet.

How does "they had people watching in the streets" 30 or 40 years ago relate to "But we're the most advanced country on the planet."??

[Lycoming]

Can anyone interpret this? Perhaps something has been lost in translation?

If you ever watched some of the older movies like Grand Prix and whatever, they actually had actual footage of some of the Grand Prix races. They had people watching in the streets. They watched the cars go by at 180 miles an hour. Things have changed a lot since the last Americans have been involved in there. I think you get the impression that sometimes people think that the European way of racing is so much more advanced than the Americans. But we're the most advanced country on the planet.

How does "they had people watching in the streets" 30 or 40 years ago relate to "But we're the most advanced country on the planet."??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJUrkUYlJ_E

Specifically 1:15.

[Jersey Tom]

They are a less than $US1B company. How are they going to do this when Ferrari at several times their size is floundering?

Do tell how big Williams Grand Prix is as a corporate entity outside of their race operations...

[flyboy2160]

They are a less than $US1B company. How are they going to do this when Ferrari at several times their size is floundering?

Do tell how big Williams Grand Prix is as a corporate entity outside of their race operations...

My point was that they're going to have to go after sponsors - they're not large enough to fund it all, or even a big portion of it, on their own. Whereas I could see them on their own as sponsors partially funding other F1 teams with either cash or machine tools or both.

[xpensive]

...
X, yes, Haas certainly got some free publicity, but won't he lose some of that when he backs off? Won't people say: "Ha! Told you so! You just shot from the hip before you knew what you were really getting into. Not very confidence inspiring."

They are a less than $US1B company. How are they going to do this when Ferrari at several times their size is floundering? Where are they going to get all the cash? From sponsors like the other non-factory teams?

I'd like (pay even) to see Gene and this plan on Shark Tank.

I admire your idealistic view of people's appreciation for "fair play", but Gene Haas was in jail for tax-fraud only six years ago, something which I would think should have hurt far more than some lame xcuse like "we misjudged F1's marketing impact."

I don't think the size of the company itself matters much, as I have no illusion Haas was planning on spending his own money, even if he was serious. Come now, the guy held a press conference together with an italian with a rather doubtful background in F1 and you think this is for real? As for the FIA "approval", I think they are happy that anyone with a "name" wants to join F1.

[lebesset]

I must admit that when I suggested that mr haas's reasons for this project were less about expanding into F1 and more about publicity for him and his company I expected to be a voice crying in the wilderness
but , to my surprise , it seems that a majority of the subsequent posts show at least sympathy with my viewpoint

somebody suggested that made in the USA was an important selling point there ; may I point out that nothing is going to be sold in the USA by this team !

[xpensive]

...
How does "they had people watching in the streets" 30 or 40 years ago relate to "But we're the most advanced country on the planet."??

Like this valued moderator;