The Haas F1 Team has officially revealed their second ever Formula 1 car, the VF-17, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a car that will be driven by Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen in 2017.
Following their debut season in 2016, where Grosjean secured twenty-nine points, the team return for their sophomore year with a new machine, which continues to incorporate Ferrari’s power unit.
“Being a Formula One participant brings a level of credibility that you just won’t get through traditional advertising,” said Gene Haas, the Chairman of the American outfit. “People are kind of ‘show me’ people, like show me what you can do and then I’ll believe in you.
“That was the initial concept – to convince people of our ability to do things others can’t, and I think that translates into being a machine tool builder.
“Bigger, Better, Faster, Lighter is what we strive for in the machining industry and it’s what we strive for in motorsports. People see what we can do in Formula One, and people believe Haas Automation can build world-class machine tools.”
The VF-17 was built to suit the new technical regulations with added downforce, with a wider front wing, lower and wider rear wing and large bargeboards, and Team Principal Guenther Steiner reveals pretty much everything on the car is brand new.
“I think the pedal box is the same, but all the rest is very different from last year’s car,” said Steiner. “You always try to make a faster car, which is normally a lighter car.
“Now we can put on more ballast and get better weight distribution. The aero is completely new, as are the tires, so we needed to have some built-in adjustability.
“Aesthetically, the car has a more aggressive look. It’s lighter and more aerodynamically efficient. Everything we learned from our first car has been applied to our new car.”
