The Haas F1 Team – due to debut on the grid in 2016 – has dismissed claims it is a Ferrari junior team and that the Italian outfit will have a say in how it operates.
The American team has close links with Ferrari after securing a deal to use its 2016 engine and gearbox, whilst technical assistance and wind tunnel use is also part of the partnership.
That doesn’t however mean that Ferrari has a say in how the team is run, according to team principal Günther Steiner, formerly of Jaguar and Red Bull.
“I do not understand the meaning of the word ‘B-team’. Some call it ‘junior team’,” he told Motorsport-Total. “For us they are a good partner who can help us to get into Formula 1.”
He also dismissed any suggestion that Ferrari could sway their driver line-up choice, with the Italian team keen to see Sauber reserve and Ferrari Academy driver Raffaele Marciello with a seat next season.
“We do not talk to them about things like drivers,” he added. “There is no plan for a ‘B-team’ or to be and to do whatever they want.”
Steiner also reported that the new Haas F1 facility is complete with the tooling shop already up and running.
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