F1 | Steiner: "I’m confident we can showcase once again that we can compete on weekends.”
Haas is now in its seventh season of Formula One and the team is eager to get back to the midfield in 2022 having spent the last two seasons at the back of the pack.
The VF-22 is the first entry to be developed at Uralkali Haas F1 Team’s all-new Italian based design-office in Maranello. Haas is now in its seventh season of Formula One and the team is eager to get back to the midfield in 2022 having spent the last two seasons at the back of the pack.
When Silverstone was the venue to first unveil the generic 2022 F1 car which complied to the new regulations, many fans thought they could predict what the field would look like. Even though the digital rendering of the VF-22 does not fully show all the secrets – there are clear differences already. The team’s front wing, venturi tunnel inlets, sidepod arrangement and cooling arrangements are reason to expect the grid will look noticeably different after all. It also gives reason for Haas to believe they have seen enough to make their way back to the F1 midfield.
“It’s that time of year where you’re naturally optimistic that the hard work and effort of everyone will translate to a competitive entry on track,” said owner Gene Haas, as reported on F1.com. “We made the decision back in 2020 to really channel time and resources into the VF-22, foregoing anything track-related for 2021 – which wasn’t easy to watch. Hopefully that decision bears fruit and we return to challenging for points and taking something from the weekends.”
Uralkali Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner added: “We all know what the team is capable of, we’ve proved that in the past, and with this new car – born out of a completely new set of regulations and with our new design team in place – I’m confident we can showcase once again that we can compete on weekends.”
Haas has been working with Ferrari since 2016 and the relationship is such that their current technical director Simone Resta has been seconded by Ferrari to Haas. Speaking to haasf1team.com, the team, as part of a Q&A, Resta explained just how much of an evolution the VF-22 is compared to the VF-21 of last year.
“The biggest change is the aerodynamics, and from that perspective it’s a complete revolution because the regulations are so different. The brakes and the brake ducts are a big change as well. Not a revolution per se but very different compared to previous years.
“In terms of the car itself – other than the steering wheel, pedals, and extinguisher – there are no carryovers. Everything must be changed essentially. In certain aspects, freedom is limited compared to previous years, but the devil is in the detail, so I suspect that we will see a vast difference in performance across all cars.”
As much as the VF-22 may demonstrate a vast difference to the team’s VF-21, team principal Guenther Steiner is well aware of the first task on the agenda after a ‘pointless’ 2021 campaign.
“The expectation is just to be able to fight for points and fight with the other drivers who are in Formula 1. With their rookie year, we were always very open that the expectations were not high but that they had the opportunity to learn and to establish themselves in Formula 1. Now this year, we have to prove that we are on the right track with the drivers.
“What I see is we have had good cars, for example in ’18; even in ’16 and ’17 for a new team we had pretty good cars, you know? So, I just see similarities to that time.” said Steiner.
With Mick Schumacher (son of seven-time F1 Drivers’ Champion Michael Schumacher) in their ranks, there are many millions of fans no doubt hoping there's a chance for Haas to return to their 2018 form. During that campaign, the team finished 5th in the F1 Constructors’ Championship having scored 93 points. In 2022, scoring points may be a realistic expectation, but how many remains to be seen.
