Haas F1’s Unusual Request to Ferrari to Solve the Current Financial Crisis

As F1 teams continue to squabble over the sport’s upcoming budget cap, Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner had a unique suggestion. Steiner believes customer teams like Haas and engine suppliers like Ferrari can find common ground through the one thing that connects them – engines. Steiner’s proposal to the big teams is to the discount engine costs based on the calendar length for the current season.

The F1 calendar crisis

Due to the ongoing epidemic, Formula 1 has canceled or postponed 9 races in the 2020 season. The sport hasn’t conducted a single race and teams aren’t aware when and if F1 will hold a Championship. Furthermore, F1 may postpone 2 more Grands Prix in France and Belgium due to COVID-19 restrictions.

As a result, F1 has a small problem in trying to squeeze in 11 or more races in a short duration. This is assuming the Grands Prix scheduled for later this year, actually goes ahead as planned.  Should the sport only hold a limited number of races this season, customer teams have no reason to buy engines for a 22-race calendar.

Buying only a portion of the engines would provide some form of financial relief for the smaller teams. All the teams are in the midst of a financial crisis due to a lack of competitive running. However, it’s the smaller teams like Haas and Williams that are worst affected. Steiner makes a valid point as teams’ engine funds could be spent more wisely.

Haas currently borrows engines from Ferrari, which had the best engine by far in 2019. The true potential of the Scuderia’s 2020 engine remains unknown as the team didn’t score very highly in the speed traps during testing. More importantly, would Ferrari agree to a subsidized engine agreement considering the research and development the team’s put in?

Haas’s request to Ferrari

Speaking to SpeedWeek, Steiner said:
“It is currently the subject of negotiations on how we should proceed with the engine leasing

“We cannot renegotiate until we have a specific calendar,

“If we only have ten Grands Prix, we don’t need the full contingent (of engines). If we can only do half or a third of the races”

“Then it is clear that we do not pay the full price”

It will be interesting to see how the top teams react to Steiner’s proposal.