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For Haas F1, this weekend's U.S. Grand Prix is more than a regular race, it will be the first time the American-led team is going to compete in front of a home crowd. To mark this special occasion, the team scheduled more than a dozen media events and interviews ahead of this weekend’s on-track action. The team’s drivers, Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutiérrez, as well as Team Owner Gene Haas and Team Principal Guenther Steiner sat down with national and local media outlets in Charlotte, N.C., and Austin, Texas, to spread the word. “As an American team, having an F1 race on American soil is incredibly important,” Haas said. “We come to COTA having scored some points and proving that we can hold our own with the established teams of Formula One. We’re looking forward to our first home race.” Haas F1 joined the series at the beginning of this season and has scored 28 points so far with four races left in the ‘16 season, making it one of the most successful newcomers in the sport’s modern history. In addition to a large number of media interviews, the team members toured the NASCAR Hall of Fame and visited a local barbecue joint, Mac’s Speed Shop, while in Charlotte.
Both stops will be part of NBC’s coverage of U.S. F1 Grand Prix. NBC, the series’ U.S. broadcast partner, will have several features on Haas F1 over the course of the weekend. NBC, Haas F1 and the Circuit of the Americas, home of the U.S. Grand Prix, are using the hashtag #Haastin to mark the occasion. All three have collaborated in the past to increase F1’s fan base in the U.S., a market the sport has struggled in the past. The team will not make any announcements and has no special activations planned at COTA, a team spokesperson told SBD Global.
F1 TO PROMOTE TOOLS: Haas, who is also the co-owner of NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing, uses his F1 team to increase the global market share and awareness of his machine tool brand Haas Automations, the primary sponsor of the team’s cars. “From an international standpoint, Formula One is the highest echelon of racing, and Haas Automation builds the highest-quality machine tools,” Haas said. “Haas Automation has an excellent reputation in the United States, and I want that reputation to grow worldwide. Connecting Haas Automation with F1 in name and in practice is the best way to grow our business and elevate Haas Automation to a premium, global brand.” In a previous interview, Haas told SBD Global that the link between his company and F1 has already led to a rise in global awareness.
