Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Haas

  • Fittipaldi to complete FP1 sessions for Haas

    Pietro Fittipaldi, took to social media to say he will be taking part in FP1 for Haas in Mexico and Abu Dhabi.

    As part of the 2022 Sporting Regulations teams must, in two FP1 sessions, field a driver who has not taken part in more than two Grand Prix.

    The Brazilian-American reserve and test driver Fittipaldi, is currently in his fourth season with the team.

    The 26 year old stood in for injured Romain Grosjean at the final Grand Prix of 2020, making his starts at Sakhir and Abu Dhabi with a best finish of 17th.

    Fittipaldi didn’t get much choice on when he will be fulfilling the role, as Brazil we only have two practice sessions due to the Sprint. The team is also running Ferrari-affiliated Antonio Giovinazzi in FP1 at the United States Grand Prix.

    I’m super happy to announce that I’ll be driving the VF-22 in FP1 at Mexico and Abu Dhabi. I want to thank Haas F1 team for the opportunity. I drove the VF-22 for the first time in Bahrain at the Official Pre-Season Tests but now to drive it during a race weekend is an amazing opportunity, so thank you to the team.

    Pietro Fittipaldi on his FP1 sessions.

  • Hulkenback?

    Nico Hulkenberg could be soon back in Formula 1 and not just being the super-sub, recent reports link him to Haas for a full-time seat for the 2023 season.

    Hulkenberg has become somewhat of a super-sub in F1, having stepped in for Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin during the opening two races of this season. As well as fulfilling the same role in 2020 when he started two races for Racing Point, scoring 10 points and putting his car third on the grid on the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.

    But, its now been three seasons since the German driver has had a full time seat in Formula 1, having last done so for Renault… But this could be about to change!

    Mick Schumacher’s contract will be expiring at the end of the season, and their is currently little talk that it will be extended. Speculation has turned as to who will be sitting in the seat on the opposite side of the garage to Kevin Magnussen in 2023.

    Ricciardo had been a name that was linked although that has now gone cold and his former Renault team-mate Hulkenberg is the latest to be linked with the seat.

    Everybody with a superlicence is on the list. I think he’s a candidate like all the other ones, because he’s got a superlicence, he has done F1, he has experience. I mean, there is nobody who is racing now that you could get if you wanted to change. We just have to see what is the best decision.

    Haas boss, Steiner talking to Motorsport.com about Hulkenberg being a candidate.

    Another name which is being thrown into the mix is Antonio Giovinazzi, with the Italian not having the best season in Formula E. His recent outing with Haas at the Italian Grand Prix saw him impress, he is also due for another test with the team at the United States Grand Prix on October.

  • Haas to run GIO

    Ferrari reserve, Antonio Giovinazzi will return to Formula 1 as he runs for Haas in FP1 at both the Italian and United States Grand Prix.

    The Italian driver lost his race seat at Alfa Romeo at the end of 2021 after three seasons with the team. He then embarked on a racing career in Formula E with Dragon Penske Racing whilst dovetailing the Ferrari F1 reserve role with Haas driver Mick Schumacher for this season.

    The team announced the news ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix – the first race after the summer break. Haas announced Giovinazzi would test the VF-22 at Monza and COTA, with Ferrari keen to give the Italian some time in the 2022 spec machinery.

    This isn’t the first time the 28 year old, has performed such duties with Haas before, having completed seven FP1 sessions in 2017.

    However, Haas will still be obliged to make their car available for two further Free Practice 1 sessions this year under rule 3.12.2 of the Sporting Regulations. Haas reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi is eligible for this as he has only raced twice for the team in 2020.

    We’re happy to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for the two FP1 outingsWe’re happy to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for the two FP1 outings. Ferrari were keen to give Antonio some seat time in a current-spec Formula 1 car on a race weekend and we were naturally happy to assist. We enjoyed a similar situation back in 2017 with Antonio and Ferrari – the clear difference between then and now is the experience he’ll have gained competing for the previous three seasons in Formula 1 and the feedback he’ll be able to give us in Italy and America. I’m looking forward to seeing Antonio again and having him back in the paddock with us.

    Haas Team Principle, Guenther Steiner.

    I’m so glad to have the chance to drive again in official F1 sessions. Besides simulator driving, it is important to test a true car and I can’t wait to put my suit and helmet back on. It’ll be an opportunity to get confident with the new generation cars – it’s the best way to be ready if I were called as reserve driver. Driving on challenging and exciting tracks as Monza and COTA makes it even more thrilling. Thanks to Haas F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari – I’m looking forward to giving my contribution to the team that counted on me already in 2017.

    Antonio Giovinazzi on his FP1 sessions.

  • Schumacher to not race

    Haas driver, Mick Schumacher “physically well” after his high-impact crash in qualifying yesterday. Despite that Haas, confirmed that Mick will not be taking any further part of the Grand Prix.

    The German driver was circulating in Q2 when he lost his car through the back end after riding over the kerbs, the driver spinning heavily into the wall and the impact causing massive damage to his car.

    Schumacher was taken to the circuits medical centre and from there by helicopter to a hospital for a precautionary check.

    But ahead of today’s race, Haas confirmed that Schumacher would not take the race start, writing on Twitter: “In light of today’s qualifying incident, Mick Schumacher will not participate in tomorrow’s #SaudiArabianGP.”

    The team provided an update later on: “We can confirm that Mick has been released from hospital and has returned to his hotel.”

    Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner, meanwhile, confirmed that he’d been in contact with Schumacher following the crash, saying: “I spoke with him directly. He spoke to his mum, I spoke to his mum a few times and kept her updated. He has no injuries which you can see – they just wanted to check on him, doing some scans to see that there is no damage from the impact of the forces. Taking any risks tomorrow, it’s not on,” added Steiner. “We are in Melbourne in two weeks and it’s better to focus on that one to make sure that we are in a good state there.”

  • Magnussen Returns!!

    Magnussen Returns!!

    Kevin Magnussen has signed a multi-year deal to make a return to Formula 1 with the American team in 2022, following the teams decision to part ways with Nikita Mazepin.

    Having driven in F1 for McLaren in 2014 to 15 and Renault in 2016, the Danish driver raced for Haas from 2017 until 2020. Magnussen then moved Stateside where he took part in sportscars and IndyCar and was set to join Peugeot’s World Endurance Championship team this year.

    But, the 29 year old will partner Mick Schumacher in which will be the German’s second year in the sport.

    Team Principal Guenther Steiner said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kevin Magnussen back to Haas F1 Team. When looking for a driver who could bring value to the team, not to mention a wealth of Formula 1 experience, Kevin was a straightforward decision for us. Kevin’s immediate availability means we can tap into him as a resource for pre-season testing alongside both Mick Schumacher and Pietro Fittipaldi. Pietro’s going to be first in this week with half a day’s running at the test on Thursday – that’s a great opportunity for him, with Mick and Kevin doing the rest ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Kevin was a key component in our previous successes – not least when we both scored our best finishes in Formula 1 back in 2018. He continued to show last year that he’s an elite race car driver adding wins and podiums to his resume. As a veteran presence in both the garage and the engineering room, he’ll provide a solid benchmark for us with the on-going development of the VF-22. We’re all looking forward to welcoming Kevin back this week in Bahrain.”

    Magnussen added: “I was obviously very surprised but equally very excited to receive the call from Haas F1 Team. I was looking in a different direction regarding my commitments for 2022 but the opportunity to return to compete in Formula 1, and with a team I know extremely well, was simply too appealing. I really have to say thank you to both Peugeot and Chip Ganassi Racing for releasing me promptly – both are great organizations. Naturally, I also want to thank Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for the chance to resume my Formula 1 career – I know just how competitive they both are and how keen they are to return to competing week in and week out. We’ve enjoyed a solid relationship and our positive association remained even when I left at the end of 2020. I’ve been briefed as much as possible on the development of the VF-22 and the potential in the package. There’s work to do but I’m excited to be a part of it. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car in Bahrain.”

    My Opinion-

    YESS! I’m very happy about this, I think this was the best pick out of the most experienced in F1 and with him having history with the team it seems the perfect fit. Even more so that he is on a multi year deal, he can help the team develop the car along with Mick.

  • Fittipaldi to test in Bahrain

    It has been confirmed by Gene Haas, that Pietro Fittipaldi will be testing in Bahrain this week for the American team.

    This comes as Nikita Mazepin got axed from his seat on Saturday, as well as the teams sponsor. The decision to cut ties with both came in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    There are a few options in who could partner up with Mick Schumacher, one including Pietro Fittipaldi the Test and Reserve driver for the team.

    According to BBC Sport, there are three drivers on Haas’ shortlist, those being: Pietro Fittipaldi, Oscar Piastri and Jehan Daurvala.

    “There was a lot of intense criticism about the Ukraine invasion and it was just getting overwhelming,” team owner Haas told The Associated Press. “We can’t deal with all that, our other sponsors can’t deal with all that. We’re in the process of looking at several candidates, we’ll see who is available and what we have to deal with, but we’ll have somebody by Wednesday. Pietro will definitely be in it, that’s what he’s for, he’s the test driver. I think we’d obviously like to get someone with a bit more actual experience. We just have to see what’s available.”

    My Opinion-

    Obviously they needed someone in that second seat for testing and quick, that someone is Fittipaldi, so Haas have now got one thing ticked of their list. But I can understand why they are taking their time to decide for the seat for the season.

    I’ve seen lots of possibilities over the past few days from Hulkenberg to Giovinazzi to Magnussen as well as the ones already mentioned above. But with Gene Haas saying they would ‘obviously like to get someone with a bit more experience’ it does make me think that having someone with experience is good but would they prefer that over having someone who is new to F1 e.g Piastri.

  • Drivers contracts

    With the new season about to start in the next few weeks, we shall be expecting drivers to sign new contracts throughout the season. So lets take a look at when they run out.

    This year we have 10 drivers from 8 different teams, whose contracts are running out. Some older drivers may think about leaving the sport depending on whether they can get a contract extension or a new contract for a different team. Other drivers may consider switching teams.

    We could potentially see some drivers from Formula 2 come up for 2023 as there is lots of young drivers in F1 teams programme, so teams may want to use their sister teams to get their backed driver in the sport. As well as this we also have Oscar Piastri who is a reserve this year waiting for a seat for next year.

    Lance Stroll is on a multi year contract, no-one officially knows how long it is but it is to be expected either till the end of this year or 2023, which will then make it 11 drivers contracts running out this year.

    With Max and Lando both getting contract extensions already this year, we could potentially see some more drivers get longer contracts too. Carlos Sainz is said to be negotiating a new contract with Ferrari.

    DriverTeamContract end
    Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing2022
    Carlos SainzFerrari2022
    Fernando AlonsoAlpine2022
    Yuki TsunodaAlphaTauri2022
    Pierre GaslyAlpha Tauri2022
    Sebastian VettelAston Martin2022
    Mick SchumacherHaas2022
    Nicholas LatifiWilliams2022
    Alex AlbonWilliams2022
    Guanyu ZhouAlfa Romeo2022
    Lewis HamiltonMercedes2023
    George RussellMercedes2023
    Daniel RicciardoMcLaren2023
    Charles LeclercFerrari2024
    Esteban OconAlpine2024
    Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo2024
    Lando NorrisMcLaren2025
    Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing2028
    Lance StrollAston MartinUnknown

  • Mazepin will not race for Haas

    The Haas Formula One team, has announced today that Nikita Mazepin’s contract and their title partnership Uralkali contract have both been terminated with immediate effect.

    The Russian’s future had been in doubt after his father Dmitry’s sponsor branding through Uralkali was removed from the team’s car at Barcelona testing. Team principal Guenther Steiner then admitted that Mazepin’s future with the team was something that needed to be addressed.

    Since then the American team, have been under immense pressure to act on Mazepin’s future, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. With sport all around the world cutting ties with the country.

    The team released an statement saying: “Haas F1 Team has elected to terminate, with immediate effect, the title partnership of Uralkali, and the driver contract of Nikita Mazepin. As with the rest of the Formula 1 community, the team is shocked and saddened by the invasion of Ukraine and wishes for a swift and peaceful end to the conflict.”

    At this moment in time, Haas have not announced who will replace him but it is said to be announced early next week, before the Official Pre-Season Test in Bahrain.

    Some of the drivers who could take the spot is: Pietro Fittipaldi, he is the front runner as he currently is the team’s test and reserve driver. Another is Antonio Giovinazzi, obviously he is tied with being Ferrari’s reserve but Haas and Ferrari have a very close relationship so he may get the spot. Some outsider candidates are: Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

  • Mazepin banned from British GP

    Russian Formula 1 driver, Nikita Mazepin is banned from competing in the British Grand Prix after Motorsport UK announced their response to the situation in Ukraine.

    On Tuesday the 1st March, the Haas driver looked likely to be allowed to compete in the sport this season after the FIA confirmed Russian and Belarusian drivers could race under a neutral flag.

    However, the chair of Motorsport UK David Richards CBE along with the board of the organisation has confirmed in a statement released today, that Mazepin would not be able to race at Silverstone in the beginning of July, unless the situation changes.

    The decision was made in full consultation with the UK Government and national sports governing bodies to ensure there is a unilateral response.

    “The entire Motorsport UK community condemns the acts of war by Russia and Belarus in Ukraine and expresses its solidarity and support towards all those affected by the ongoing conflict.” Richards said. “We stand united with the people of Ukraine and the motorsport community following the invasion and the unacceptable actions that have unfolded. This is a time for the international motorsport community to act and show support for the people of Ukraine and our colleagues at the Federation Automobile d’Ukraine (FAU). Motorsport UK stands united with Leonid Kostyuchenko, the President of the FAU, the Ukrainian motorsport community and the Ukrainian people and calls for the violence to end with a peaceful resolution.”

    FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem said in a statement on Tuesday: “The FIA is watching the developments in Ukraine with sadness and shock and I hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to the present situation. We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our thoughts are with all those suffering as a result of the events in Ukraine.”

    In the statement, the FIA added: “Russian/Belarusian drivers, individual competitors and officials to participate in international/zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the ‘FIA flag’, subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA’s principles of peace and political neutrality.”

  • VF22

    Haas are the first to show their 2022 livery with a series of digital renderings showcasing the car, VF22. The livery is an evolution of last years predominantly white design, as has been the case in previous years Haas will unveil the physical car in the Barcelona pit lane on the first morning of pre-season running.

    It is known that the car will noticeably look a little different to what the digital renderings show, with the teams keen to keep significant parts of their design quiet for as long as possible and to stop other teams to take away their clever ideas.

    Having dropped towards the back of the field in 2020, Haas decided not to develop their 2021 car in favour of putting 100% their resources on the 2022 car in a bid to return to the midfield. The VF-22 is the seventh Haas car, and the first to emerge from the American teams new design office in Maranello, led by Simone Resta the Technical Director.

    To promote closer racing the FIA and F1 rewrote the rules, with the new cars featuring a ground effect floor, simplified front wing and dramatic rear wing plus the new Pirelli 18 inch tyres.

    Haas were the only team last year not to score any points with two rookies at the wheel, Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

    “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. “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.”

    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. It’s been a tremendous effort by everyone involved and now comes the fun part of getting the new car to the circuit and dialling in all the elements. Last season was a long one but I’m confident that 2022 will see us back in the mix with the VF-22.”

    Resta said: “This is probably the most complex project the Uralkali Haas F1 Team has dealt with to-date for many reasons. It’s a completely new set of regulations and this season we’ve brought in a new team to manage the creation of the VF-22. Not everyone is new but a good chunk of people have joined with a revised structure now in place. I consider this as a great success in the process. We’re still early in the project and going through a transitional season of working together on a car for a full year, but if we look back where we started, this team is already a success.”

    My Opinion-

    In regards to the livery, it actually looks a lot cleaner than last year but it keeps the 3 main colours on their, blue, red and white. Now onto the actual car, hopefully this car will see the drivers score some points and be in more battles up the grid.

  • 04.02.22

    Haas have announced when they will show their livery for 2022, that being tomorrow at 11am!

    The North Carolina team will give fans the first look of their 2022 colours ahead of pre-season testing on February 23rd at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

    The VF-22 has had high input from Technical Director, Simone Resta who joined from Ferrari in time to help develop the car for the new regulations. They also acquired some additional Ferrari personnel at the start of 2021, as the Italian team sought ways to slim down its costs to meet cost cap restrictions.

    Haas are hoping to have a better season than the previous after they scored no-points. They are hoping to work their way into at least the mid-field this season with no longer rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

  • Young Drivers Test 2021

    The Young Drivers Test, allows an opportunity for teams to field junior drivers to gain experience in F1 machinery, this takes place once a year and always once the season has ended. Lets take a look at who is driving for which team!

    Mercedes-

    Nyck de Vries will be in the silver arrows. This is no surprise to me, as his took part in it last year. Not only this, but Nyck is a test and reserve driver for Mercedes. The dutchman has driven in Formula E since 2020 with the Mercedes EQ Formula E Team and this year he became the first ever World Champion in Formula E.

    Red Bull-

    We have Formula 2 driver, Juri Vips driving for Red Bull in the YDT. Juri is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, once again this isn’t Vips first time in the YDT, he drove for Red Bull last year too. Vips hasn’t got anything lined up for next year he could become Red Bull’s Test and reserve driver, as Alex Albon is going to Williams next year.

    Ferrari-

    Ferrari have two drivers doing the test for them, Robert Shwartzman who is apart of the Ferrari Driver Academy, and finished 2nd this year in Formula 2 Championship. As well as Antonio Fuoco. Fuoco done his first test with the Italian team back in 2015 and was also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy up until 2019, he was then promoted to Ferrari’s F1 simulator team, this line up for Ferrari is the same as last year.

    McLaren-

    The papaya team have Pato O’Ward in the car. Pato is not a stranger to McLaren as he races in IndyCar with the McLaren Arrows, and Zak Brown made a deal with the Mexican if he won in IndyCar he will get a chance to test the F1 car, so here we are! Pato is doing another year in Indy Car next year and it is said if he wins the championship there could be a possible move for him to F1 for McLaren!

    Alpine-

    Now, Alpine has the 2021 Formula Two Champion in their car for the Young Drivers Test. Oscar Piastri is apart of the Alpine Academy and has had an amazing career winning 3 titles back to back. However that didn’t secure Oscar a seat in F1 this year… Instead he is now Alpines test and reserve driver.

    Alpha Tauri-

    Another Formula 2 driver is amongst us! This time we have Liam Lawson who is driving for Alpha Tauri. Lawson is apart of the Red Bull Junior Team, he took part in both DTM and Formula 2 this year. DTM he finished 2nd, and F2 finished 9th overall, there is no news yet to see what he is doing next year but speculation is he will do another season in F2 which will be his second year if he did.

    Aston Martin-

    Aston Martin have chosen Nick Yelloly for the test, Nick is no stranger to the Silverstone based team as he has been their simulator driver for a few years now, he now gets to test the Aston Martin.

    Williams-

    Williams have decided to put their new Academy driver into the hot seat for the young drivers test. Logan Sargeant will be making an appearance for the British team, he has confirmed he will be racing in F2 next year with Carlin, whilst also being on stand-by helping out Williams when he can.

    Alfa Romeo-

    Alfa Romeo will be putting their new driver, Guanyu Zhou in for the YDT, as well as testing the prototype car on Wednesday. Zhou, finished 3rd in the Formula 2 Championship this year, and now he is graduating to Formula One.

    Haas-

    Robert Shwartzman will also be in the car for Haas. This wasn’t meant to be his first time in a Haas car, he was actually meant to run in the first practice session of the 2020 Abu Dhabi GP but did not appear on the entry list.

  • Mazepin out of Abu Dhabi GP

    It has been confirmed that Nikita Mazepin will not take part in the race today, as he has tested positive for Covid-19

    Mazepin returned the result to an on-site test centre at Yas Marina, he then done a re-test which came back positive too.

    Haas will not be putting Pietro Fittipaldi in the car as he has not took part in any practice sessions this weekend, so he is not eligible.

    This means that they will only run Mick Schumacher today, who is starting P19.

    A joint statement on Mazepin’s positive test said: “The FIA, Formula 1 and Haas F1 Team can today confirm that during onsite PCR testing for the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nikita Mazepin has tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with COVID-19 protocols he will take no further part in this Event. All contacts have been declared.

    “There will be no replacement driver in accordance with article 31.1 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 Sporting Regulations, which prohibits any driver from starting the race who has not taken part in at least one practice session. The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 will ensure no wider impact on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.”

    Wishing Nikita a speedy recovery!

  • Haas retain both drivers

    It has officially been announced that Haas has retained both Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher for the 2022 season!

    Both drivers joined the team last year for the 2021 season, with it being their rookie year.

    Mick won the 2020 F2 Championship with Prema and he is also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. His first year in F1 has been consistent, with his highest finish being in 12th and that was at the Hungarian GP. We’ve seen some lovely battles from Mick on track this season, and I can’t wait to see what else he does!

    Mazepin who finished 5th in the 2020 F2 Championship, hasn’t been as consistent as his team-mate. His highest finish is 14th at Azerbaijan, it always looks like he struggles with the car a lot more than Mick does. So hopefully this gives him the experience for future years in his racing career…

    My Opinion-

    I think this is a good move from Haas, I didn’t see any new drivers coming in and taking one of the rookies spots at Hass. Obviously there was speculation that Mick could potentially move to Alfa Romeo, but obviously that was speculation.

    This now gives Haas a solid line up for 2022, where they can learn all about the new regulations with team-mates who know the team and the 2021 car too.