Gene Haas reflects on his first season in F1 thus far with an interview with Vanessa Georgoulas of Speedweek.
“I have seen in Formula 1 a lot of good things,” says Haas
“I like the processes in place for regulatory inspection of the cars. After the race, if you’re found cheating then you’re only deceiving yourself.”
“Of course in Formula 1 [there are] a lot of rules. But in NASCAR there’s a lot of excessive regulation too, just in other areas. In my opinion, the level of control is about the same in both series. “
Gene feels at home in the paddock as both series are heavily regulated to within an inch. This however is probably where the comparison ends as clearly F1 is far more a technical sport that US stock car racing.
“Nascar is more pure racing, since we spend much less time with technical aspects. In Formula 1, there are definitely a lot of rules, but there are in some areas also open spaces, such as the front wing, where you can put all sorts of things. In Nascar, however everything is practically defined internal regulations.”
The prospect of the 2017 regulation changes are already worrying the American as the team try to not only race this year but also develop next year’s car at the same time. Worrying times for Haas F1.
“In the F1 circus you need strict rules to slow the pace of development. The cars are evolved to the point of them being a totally different car. It’s a huge engineering effort to implement!”
Obviously Gene now understands the plight of midfield teams who don’t have the benefit of the leg that Ferrari provide.
I like how Gene is talking down F1 compared to NASCAR in a subtle way that will force F1 to reconsider itself. Now of more people listened to his down to earth remarks about F1, but I am sure no one will because he is just a “Ferrari B Team” with no right to an opinion -.-
Thankfully F1 is not Nascar.
How can racing be more pure if they only turn left?
Gene obviously sees some kind of minimalist purity of half a steering rack :/
Welcome to the piranha club
According to motorsport there will be no limitations on what can changed for next year’s cars. The token system has been scrapped, and powertrains can be altered as much as is wanted. Should be good for close racing between all the teams.
In my twenties, I watched nascar for one thing: the sound.
That constant drone, I loved it.
But that was before I had responsibilities – the tv was like a lightbulb, videoclips and racing always on, but never really paying attention.
I am not a fan of the US race series but that said I did have a chance to watch an oval race and as you say…the sound. I have seen a tornado do a full military takeoff with afterburners and have attended the monsters of rock at donnington but even a screaming v10 down the hanger straight didn’t compare to those stock cars playing in the sun,it was a hell of a day but I still maintain that F1 is the daddy of the business.
It’s impossible to follow fighter jets in a comprehensive way. So we ‘settle’ with F1.
…
So much to do now. I really want to attend Spa sometime and Monaco… Oh the money.
With the same money I can buy a very decent synthesizer for my other hobby.
I geuss im Lucky. Living at little less than a kilometre off the runway of a military airbase. F16’s are the soundtrack of my life… we used to smoke on a field directly near the gate of the Base, landingstrip in sight. Can’t count the amount of private airshows we had. I never heard nascar in real life but I’m pretty sure it can’t topple 5 F16’s on full power blasting by. And I saw them v10’s with their 21.000 rpm at spa. Loud. Very loud. But still less than the jets. But it’s all relative. Mondays and Tuesdays are night flights and I’m so used to it that I sleep trough it. 😉
If you enjoy watching V8’s race, the aussie V8 super cars are far better to watch than those boring circle tracks used in nascar.
I think the world of motorsports could learn a few lessons from Aussie V8 SC’s. Great racing from an economically sustainable series. Worth checking out if you’ve never seen it.
@WTF_F1