From GMM
Former director of Scuderia Ferrari, Stefano Domenicali could continue his motorsport career with Formula 1's newest team. Gunther Steiner, a former Jaguar and Red Bull chief, is now heavily involved in the Haas Formula project, with NASCAR team co-owner Gene Haas having secured a two-year license to enter F1, beginning either in 2015 or 2016. The latest reports from Italy, where Haas will have its first car manufactured by the chassis maker Dallara, suggest 2016 is now the most likely debut date for the new American team. "We've got the option to start in '16 if we think it is not doable in a good, professional way for '15," admitted Steiner.
The Italian reports also said Haas officials are set to travel to Maranello to meet with Marco Mattiacci, the new sporting chief at Ferrari, Haas' likely 'power unit' supplier. And Haas said the team will rely on its "technology partner" for more than just a turbo V6. He said Haas will also outsource the "transmissions, KERS systems, suspensions, steering wheel. All of those things are going to come packaged to us," he revealed. "So our main thing is just focusing on the construction of the aero and chassis and getting to the races," Haas added. Haas plans to have a 'satellite' operation in Europe, while Steiner explained that having a main headquarters in the US is made possible due to F1's logistics. "The cars this year went from Europe to Bahrain for the test," he said, "then they flew direct from Bahrain to Australia, from Australia direct to Malaysia, then to Bahrain for racing and now they're on the way to China." Gunther Steiner said update parts can then be flown by the team straight to the race locations. "It doesn't make a difference if you come from America or Europe in that sense," he explained. An ideal tool to help stave off failure of the project would be a highly experienced F1 figure, like the former Mercedes and Ferrari chiefs, Norbert Haug and Stefano Domenicali respectively. "I think now he (Haug) is basically doing DTM commentating, and Stefano I have no idea what he's going to do in the future or if he has figured out something," said Steiner. "But I'm sure we will speak with him, and never say never, because they are both good people and they've been around a long time and their experience, for sure, has got value."
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