Formula 1 chief Ross Brawn says the presence – and form – of Haas in the championship is crucial for its hoped-for expansion in the United States.
Haas entered Formula 1 in 2016 through a close collaboration with Ferrari and Dallara, and last season classified fifth in the Constructors’ Championship.
But this year it has struggled for consistency from its VF-19, which has often shown pace in qualifying but regressed in race trim.
Haas evaluated different car specifications and accepted that wind tunnel to on-track correlation issues had hampered its development.
In Russia it scored its first top 10 finish since the German Grand Prix courtesy of ninth for Kevin Magnussen, and also secured a Q3 berth courtesy of Romain Grosjean.
“After finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship last year, Haas started this season with the hope of consolidating its progress,” said Brawn.
“But unfortunately they seem to be going backwards, especially in the races, although they’ve been a bit better in qualifying.
“At one point it seemed the team was in a vicious circle from a technical point of view, but Gunther Steiner’s men are back on track, dismantling the puzzle pieces put in place to date and reassembling the jigsaw all over again.
“Gene Haas’ team is a valuable asset for Formula 1. It is the first example of a new team establishing itself in a sport that for too many years has seen teams come and go in a short space of time, without ever really making their mark.
“It’s also important because it flies the US flag in a sport that is generally Euro-centric. It is vital for Formula 1 that we continue to support the growth in interest in the sport in the USA and in the absence of an American driver a Stars ‘n’ Stripes team fulfils that role.
“Let’s hope therefore that Haas is on the up in this final part of the season and maybe they can even get a good result at their home race in Austin.”
Haas currently holds ninth in the Constructors’ Championship.
