Haas team principal Guenther Steiner believes there is no longer any point to putting in development on their current 2018 challenger, The VF-18.
With numerous changes to the aerodynamic layout for next season, Haas has felt the need to move their eyes towards next season in order to try and maintain their current performance levels going into 2019.
Despite being locked in a tight battle for fifth place in the Constructors' Championship with fourth place a possibility if they can overhaul Renault in the final nine races, Steiner felt the time was right to place priority on next season.
"It’s clearly defined," said the Austrian. "We started the 2019 car a few weeks ago and there’s no point in developing the 2018 car any longer because if you do continue development, by the time you manufacture the parts, it’s near the end of the season.
"The gains are too small to use the parts in only two or three races. We do have a few more parts coming, but that’s it for the development of the 2018 car.
"We will bring a few more to the next races. They will not be big updates, but we will keep bringing them like everybody else. We’ve learned to produce upgrades, bring them to the car, and have them working.
"This is a step that we have achieved in 2018 that we did not have in 2017."
Numerous changes are being implemented for the 2019 season which includes a larger spanned, more simplified front wing, no brake duct winglets and a deeper rear wing which should improve DRS usage.
Steiner believes it has not affected plans for their new challenger and feels more focus is needed on the project because of the greater changes being implemented which will not carry over from the current season.
"It hasn’t affected the planning," he added. "Maybe we switched a few sessions before because if we were only making an evolution of the 2018 car for next year, with the same regulations, you could use whatever you learned this year for next year’s car.
"By changing regulations you need to start a little more fresh. So, you have to focus a little bit before and you cannot use what you developed for the 2018 car on the 2019 car."
