Haas F1’s technical partnership with Ferrari has received scrutiny from a rival team principal, who called it “outside of the regulations.” The close alliance between the U.S.-based team, which will enter the series in ’16, and the Italian manufacturer has triggered much controversy within the F1 paddock. As part of a multiyear agreement, which was announced in Sept. ’14, Ferrari will provide its power unit, gearbox and overall technical support to Haas F1. The partnership has been called “very intelligent” by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Head Toto Wolff. But not every team has admiration for Haas F1's approach of joining the series. Asked if the Haas F1 concept could become a model for future teams to enter F1, Williams Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams said, “I can’t answer that because it’s outside of the regulations. … I'd rather not answer that question.” Williams did not elaborate why she thinks the partnership violates FIA regulations.
REGULATIONS LOOPHOLE: Rival teams have suspected Haas of running a joint wind tunnel program with Ferrari, which could benefit from its findings. Current restrictions limit wind-tunnel time to 60 hours and 65 runs per week. However, those restrictions do not apply to Haas F1 as it is not an official competitor yet. Ferrari did not respond to a request for comment. Haas F1 Team Principal Guenther Steiner told SBD Global the team is confident it is operating within FIA guidelines. “The regulations are there to read for everyone on the FIA website, so there’s no secret about what the rules are,” he said. “We know what we are doing, and we know we are within the rules.” It is not known if Williams intends to file a complaint with the FIA. Steiner added the team has not received any official communications from the FIA or any other team. Earlier this year, the FIA sent aerodynamics consultant Marcin Budkowski to Maranello to inspect the situation at the wind tunnel and found nothing wrong.
SBD Global was on the ground in Mexico to cover F1's return to the country.
