Haas F1 boss talks about how increasing Ukraine-Russia tensions could affect team

Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has opened up about the impact of ongoing Russia-Ukraine tensions on the team’s future. With the team being heavily financed by Russian fertilizer giant Uralkali, there were concerns about the American outfit's future finances.

Steiner is confident about the team’s ability to weather any disruption from potential western sanctions against Russia. Speaking in an interview with RaceFans following the team’s 2022 car launch, Steiner said:

“We are not getting involved in these politics. Obviously, like everybody watches what is going on in the moment in the world, it’s all over the world that things are going on. So, we watch it and if there is something, we will deal with it. But at the moment, we don’t get involved in it because we don’t have a vote on these things, to be honest, and I’m glad that we don’t have a vote on this.”

He further went on to add, saying:

“We are here for the sport and that is what they are doing. Then (if) something is coming up, sanctions or whatever, we will deal with it. But in the moment, there is nothing we can do about it.”

Haas was in serious financial difficulty in the latter part of the 2020 season following the economic ramifications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The team’s owner Gene Haas even considered selling the struggling team before striking a deal with Uralkali.

The fertilizer giant, owned by Russian billionaire Dmitry Mazepin, has been Haas’s title sponsor since last season, with Mazepin’s son Nikita Mazepin driving for the team.

In the last few months, tensions have been rising between Russia and Western powers, including the United States. Disagreements over NATO's expansion in the region have led the former to amass nearly 100,000 troops on its Ukraine border.

The US, France, and Germany have threatened to impose crippling sanctions on the Russian economy, including cutting off Russian banks from the international financial system, if the country invades Ukraine.

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Haas’s decision to focus exclusively on 2022 regulations would prove a “plus”: Simone Resta

Haas F1’s technical director Simone Resta believes the team’s decision to focus exclusively on new technical regulations for the 2022 season will be beneficial to the team.

Resta moved from Ferrari to the American outfit in early 2021 to oversee the development of the 2022 car. The Italian feels the team is well-prepared for F1’s new era and hopes to once again compete for points.

He spoke of his team’s perspective for the upcoming season, along with the challenges they faced with the new regulations, during an interview post the team’s 2022 car launch event. Resta said:

“The (decision) not to develop the 2021 car in-season last year has given us more time and bandwidth to focus on the 2022 car, which was clearly a plus for ourselves. It has also been a challenge at times when creating such a radically different car when internally we’re also creating new processes and structures as the team has been created. It’s hard to appreciate starting with an entirely new department and being tasked to lead such a project.”

After a miserable 2021 season when the team failed to score a single point for the first time in their history, Haas is once again hoping to compete for points regularly.