Guenther Steiner has countered the ongoing criticism that Haas has failed to exploit its United States roots throughout its time in F1.
Haas is now in its eighth season in the sport yet there has always been the underlying feeling the team from Kannapolis, North Carolina, has kept its power dry when flying the Stars ‘n’ Stripes.
It appears that only recently it has started to capture the essence of its heritage, notably with a second US-based team in Andretti threatening to join the grid.
Ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, the Haas VF-23s will proudly sport a Stars and Stripes livery, with drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg also donning bespoke race overalls for the event.
Recognising Andretti’s threat to its American independence, but also marking what Haas has set out to do over the years, Haas team principal Steiner said: “There’s obviously a lot of talk about American teams right now.
“But we’re still currently the only American team on the Formula 1 grid.
“Many have said for years that we haven’t exploited that fact, but I’ve always said that’s because we want to earn credibility within the paddock first.
“We’ve been through a lot in our short time, but along the way have amassed a very loyal and growing fanbase, and we want to recognise them.
“Yes, it’s some nice marketing, but anyone who works with my team knows how passionate they are, and how funny and genuine our fans are. This race is dedicated to them as, we the people, make Haas what it is.”
With a title US sponsor on board in MoneyGram, Steiner feels this week has encapsulated the growth of F1 in the US, with the sport featuring three events in the country.
It was not so long ago that F1 found itself unable to crack the American market but the addition of races in Miami, and the long-awaited, much-hyped upcoming event in Las Vegas, has projected F1 onto a new stage.
Steiner, however, appreciates that as the forerunner, the race at COTA has set the standard for US venues, which posted a new F1 record last season when 440,000 fans witnessed the action across the three days.
“It’s not only the amount of people who come and watch the sport, it’s unbelievable what COTA has done and how the sport has grown in America, which is a very good thing,” added Steiner.
“I’ve seen this race grow so much over the last 10 years. I first went in its second year, and from then to now, this is a race on the calendar that all of Formula 1 looks forward to.”
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