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Haas F1's Guenther Steiner has revealed the intentions of team owner Gene Haas and whether he will stay committed to Formula 1.
Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner says owner Gene Haas has “no intention” of selling the outfit, after doubts were raised about his long-term commitment to Formula 1.
Making their debut in 2016, Haas remain the newest team to enter into F1 and have had mixed fortunes in the championship, from taking fifth in the ’18 standings to scoring zero points in ’21.
However, an upturn in form in 2022 has allowed drivers Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher to be regular midfield runners and fight for points on a consistent basis.
After the dire 2021 season when the car was not developed, and given the various legal problems encountered through their time in F1, questions have been asked over whether Gene Haas would continue to foot the bill.
But team boss Steiner has rubbished any suggestion that the owner would be about to pull the plug on the project.
Speaking exclusively on the RacingNews365.com podcast to host Michael Butterworth and Editorial Director Dieter Rencken, Steiner dismissed claims that Gene Haas could sell up.
“There was a lot of rumours from a lot of people, that Haas is for sale, that Haas is bankrupt. There was never an issue of being bankrupt,” he explained.
“In 2020, Gene wanted to see what the new [2022] regulations [would] bring – mainly the financial regulations with the budget cap and the new money distribution.
“Once that was sorted, he was committed, and he is committed to the team.
“A lot of people want to buy into an F1 team, so there wouldn’t be a lack of interest to take it over [if Gene Haas did sell].
“But Gene has no interest [in selling] at the moment. He wants to stick with the team.”
After the dismal 2021 season where rookie duo Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin scored no points, and had a somewhat frosty relationship, Haas have returned to the midfield in ’22.
In the first 13 races of the season, Magnussen and Schumacher have scored 34 points, with fifth in the season-opener for Magnussen the best return.
Steiner believes a challenge for sixth in the Constructors’ is not out of the possibility – a position currently held by Alfa Romeo on 51 points.
“It is difficult to predict the midfield this year; each race somebody is at the front of it, somebody’s at the back of it,” he told Butterworth and Rencken.
“Hopefully, we can get some more points to defend seventh place, and maybe even if we get a good run, trying to go for sixth [place].
“[It will be] very difficult, but if you don’t aim at something, you will never achieve it. I’ve always said you cannot just luck into something like this position.
“So for sure, the first thing is defending seventh and the second is attacking sixth [in the standings].”
RacingNews365.com F1 journalists Dieter Rencken and Michael Butterworth are joined by Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner to discuss the inner workings of his team, regulation changes in the sport and driver switches.
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