Three teams are asking the FIA to investigate Haas
The links between Haas and Ferrari have become stronger this season. While both teams are having a very good start to the season, the rest of the paddock is questioning the similarities between the two cars.
The comeback of Haas has not gone unnoticed. After two very difficult years struggling at the back of the grid, the American team has regained its form and a place in the midfield. In the first round of the season, Kevin Magnussen placed his VF-22 in fifth position at the checkered flag. A superb performance for the team, but one that raises questions for its competitors.
The relationship between Haas and Ferrari, in particular, is at the heart of discussions. Some are surprised by the closeness of the two teams. While Scuderia has been supplying an engine to Haas since 2016, their connection has significantly strengthened this season as many Ferrari employees have joined the American team. This move is justified by the limited budget this season, which favors smaller structures and forces larger teams to make sacrifices. The factories of both teams are also located very close to each other.
If the sharing of certain components such as the power unit is allowed, the exchange of knowledge on other parts of the race car is prohibited. However, the proximity between certain teams like Red Bull and AlphaTauri, owned by the same group, Mercedes and Williams, or Ferrari and Haas must respect sporting fairness and not favor these teams over the rest of the grid through knowledge exchanges.
Three teams have therefore asked the FIA to investigate Haas according to Auto Motor und Sport. These teams could be Mercedes, Williams, McLaren, or Alpine according to the German media. They would like the International Federation to rule on the similarities between the VF-22 and Ferrari’s F1-75. The similarities between the two cars are causing discontent, especially since they are both performing well at the start of the season.
Toto Wolff also called on the FIA to keep an eye on the links between teams. The personnel changes between two teams and the physical proximity of the facilities used create points of discord that are not good for our sport. We shared the wind tunnel with Aston Martin for two years. Two years ago, a scandal broke out, even though everything was going as usual. But if you do good work, you should be recognized for it and not be doubted. That’s why we need to find solutions in the future that prevent too close cooperation between teams.
