Haas F1 has unveiled Mexican Esteban Gutiérrez as its second driver for the '16 season. The U.S.-based team made the announcement, which was widely regarded as the "worst-kept secret" in the sport, on Friday ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. Gutiérrez joins Frenchman Romain Grosjean to complete the team's driver lineup for its inaugural season. Team Owner Gene Haas and Team Principal Guenther Steiner were onsite at Mexico City's Soumaya Museum to introduce their new driver to a global audience. Mexican businessman Carlos Slim Domit, who has been a long-time supporter of Gutiérrez and fellow Mexican F1 driver Sergio Pérez, was also present. Haas F1 made it clear over the past several weeks that its second driver will be a Ferrari test driver. It therefore came down to a decision between Gutiérrez and former Scuderia Toro Rosso driver Jean-Éric Vergne. However, comments made by Steiner to SBD Global last month that a North American driver "would be good for the sport" indicated the team was leaning toward the Mexican. The technical partnership between Haas F1 and Ferrari also played into the decision. "We looked very diligently at filling the seat, and the person we chose comes highly recommended by Ferrari," Haas said. Gutiérrez stated conversations with Haas F1 started a long time ago but finalizing the contract took time. The deal has been referred to as a multi-year project, with Gutiérrez saying his main focus is '16. Prior to joining Ferrari as its reserve driver in '15, the 24-year-old spent two seasons with the Sauber F1 Team.
NEW PARTNERS: Gutiérrez also brings two new sponsors to the team. Mexican telecoms Telcel and Claro will join Haas Automation as official partners. Both companies are part of global conglomerate Grupo Carso, whose chairman is Slim Domit. Grupo Carso already has a presence in the sport through partnership deals with Sahara Force India (Telmex, Telcel and Claro) and Scuderia Ferrari (Claro). Slim Domit, who is a member of the FIA Senate, also had a hand in bringing the series back to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez after 23 years. Haas F1 did not comment on details of the partnerships such as value, duration or logo placement on the car.
SBD Global was on the ground in Mexico to cover F1's return to the country.
