Manoah2u wrote:I'll rephrase my earlier overcynical post about Haas that subsequently but understandably (though not wihout some dissapointment) got removed;
It's really hard taking Gene Haas serious with all the elements in play. The biggest element continues to be the ironically and uncanny resemblance and deja-vu with USF1, of which Gene Haas was involved in supplying his CNC machinery. Knowing Haas recruited mister Steiner, which has been involved in USF1, they have been involved in multiple ways with a completely failed outage before.
below an official image from the USF1 headquarters when they were busy on their route to failure
http://www.grandprix.com/jpeg/usf1team1-lg.jpg
Gene HAAS himself stated that when they entered NASCAR, they expected to run immediately with the big dogs, but it was a huge surprise that they were far more 'professional' and evolved then they thought and thus fell short significantly. He called it
"A tough nut to crack".
Mind you, we're talking NASCAR here. Without going into a debate about Nascar operations, the simple fact is F1 is far, far and i really mean FAR more demanding and on a higher professional level then Nascar, in any single sense of the word.
Haas said his first season will be a success if Haas F1 can
“show up for every race”
and
“keep the cars from having the parts fall off."
Literal words of Haas himself.
To USAToday he said
""I've been involved in a successful NASCAR team. I have a lot of experience there. I have a wind tunnel where we can do our scale model testing. I have a successful business involved in manufacturing. "All those things seem to say, 'Gee whiz, Formula One seems like a natural stepping stone toward the ultimate event.' ""
but there's more
"Sometimes people think the European way of racing is so much more advanced than the Americans," Haas said. "But we're the most advanced country on the planet. So I can't imagine why we can't do it.""
"quite frankly, I think we can beat the Europeans at their own game."
those are actual words from Gene, but so are these
"““There’s all these things that I had very little knowledge about.....Even dealing with the FIA is totally different from, say, like NASCAR, where you just fill out a form and show up"
It's with expressions like this that I feel having a hard time believing in Haas. Mainly because he states great words at first and then he has to crawl back from it as he's getting shown how immensely difficult F1 really is.
I know I've come off as a harsh haas-basher, and yes, may have gotten a bit overboard before - but in fact, when I first read of Haas intentions of entering F1, i was hopefull and excited. Unfortunately, i've done some research and the more i dig into it, the more disappointed and the more cynical i get.
Like hiring the right people. Gunther Steiner? Matt Borland? USF1, failed Nascar RedBull experience, failed F1 RedBull experience (RedBull became good after he left). People like to back his charlotte facility up to point on how he's intending to be serious about it all; but are overlooking a simple fact that Gene, again, stated himself;
"we had started on this building and it was originally designed for the 41 Cup team and then during the building of it, I decided that we could make it bigger and if the Formula 1 deal comes along......."
The problem is, like i've mentioned before, all this comes straight out of the mouth of Gene Haas himself. It's not like some people are just twisting words, or needing to change his words. literal annotation is enough.
People like to think he's proved himself in motorsport,
but the fact is it was actually Tony Steward who, back in the day, bought half of the Nascar outfit to save it and then turned it into a winning team. Meanwhile, Gene Haas did 2 years prison for tax fraud. Tony Steward essentially was the driving success, and he's not involved at all in the F1 foray.
Which essentially, turns Haas into just any wealthy enterpreneur that decides he wants to sell his business through F1.
Sorry are you trying to be serious here? Do I need to begin about Raikkonen? Or better yet, the 'great' Montoya? Nelson Piquet Jr? Jaques Villeneuve? Mario Andretti? Dan Gurney? 
