"A platform that doesn't make any sense": F1 pundit's damning verdict of Guenther Steiner-led Haas after dismal 2023 season

F1 pundit Ben Anderson has noted that the lack of investment by Haas in the sport's growing commerical landscape "doesn't make sense" after their dismal 2023 season.

The American team finished last in the Constructors Championship, only scoring 12 points in 22 races. They had finished eighth last year but regressed in 2023 due to a lack of investment and development plan.

Reflecting on their 2023 season, Anderson said on The Race podcast that despite having a platform similar to Ferrari, Haas did not fully utlise their partnership:

"You would think that having the fundamental Ferrari architecture will give it a decent platform to exploit, but they haven't been able to do it.

"There are questions about the level of investment from the ownership and as F1 moves into the billion-dollar plus mega franchise backed up manufacturers era. Haas increasingly looks it's out on its own, a platform that doesn't make any sense actually in the way F1 is going."

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What Nico Hulkenberg said about Haas' performances in 2023

Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg has said that the team maximixed on other teams' weaknesses in the opening few races but weren't able to sustain ther challenge. Speaking with Autosport, the German driver said:

"Obviously, it was a process, and signs were there early in the season. But we got away with it early in the season because other people also were struggling more. And then once they cleaned up and then brought some real developments, that's when we really started to pay the penalty.

"The last or the second half of the season has been really tough. I think there was only an opportunity to score a point or two for me in Singapore, which we missed by the wrong strategy call. Apart from that, we just never had the pace to do it. Even when there were a lot of cars dropping out, we were just too far away from it. So, of course. that's not great. That's why we need to do better,"

The next year will be a crucial one for the American team, as another poor season would be a substantial financial loss. With a stellar driving lineup of Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, Haas will look for a mid-table finish.