Haas refuse Ferrari front suspension – Haas F1 team boss Ayao Kamatsu has announced that the team will break with tradition and use a different front suspension from the one developed for 2025 by Ferrari. The Haas Formula One business model has been for the team to buy in as many of the non ‘listed parts’ the FIA allow, together with outsourcing their chassis design to Italian firm Dallara who build the Indycar chassis.

The team joined the F1 grid in 2016 and in its first two outings scored eighteen points just two fewer than the historic Williams team. Haas F1 claimed this remarkable achievement with a staff of just 120 personnel and a budget expected to be in the region of $100m. Williams at the time had a budget of three times this amount with around five times the people.

Having not competed in F1 during 2015, Haas F1 were not subject to the FIA design and testing restrictions of the other competitors, something else a number of team bosses expressed concern about.    Yet the furore somewhat died down given Haas scoring three times in the first four rounds of the year was not a run rate the team could sustain.

 

 

 

Haas new F1 model

Just two more scoring efforts were to come for the US owned team, in Austria and Austin which was a poor return across seventeen F1 weekends. However, the rumbles continued in the background as to why a genuine constructor like Williams could be challenged by a team which simply outsources its design and build functions and operates largely an assembly only operation.

Williams on the other hand created almost everything for its cars from scratch with the designs based on data generated from its own wind tunnel and staff. The vision of kit car F1 teams taking over never materialised and Haas F1 have now after nine years yet to score a podium and a race win seems unlikely any time soon.

The FIA ‘listed parts’ that cannot be provided by another team are: the monocoque, survival cell, front impact structures, roll-over structures, bodywork, wings, floor and diffuser. However, there is nothing saying these parts cannot be designed and/or built by an outside contractor (in this case, Dallara) that is not another F1 team. Suspensions, brake ducts, rear crash structures, engines, transmissions can be, and have been traditionally supplied by Ferrari.

The problem Haas F1 created is that they were much quicker out of the blocks than other recent start up teams such as Marussia or Caterham, both of whom qualified as true constructors – building their own cars, using their own wind tunnel programmes etc – then existing independents would not have been getting too upset.

Hamilton reunited

 

 

 

Cadillac to use similar start up mode

The problem was Romain Grosjean took the virginal Haas F1 machine and finished 6th and 5th in the 2016 season’s opening two rounds before claiming either fourth time out in Russia. With F1 I its pre-cost cap era and front running teams annual budgets believed to be approaching $500m, team boss Gaunter Steiner hit the nail on the head.

“I actually think this is very important for the future of F1,” he told assembled media. “The cars are so advanced today, so much technology in these things, that if you start from zero with a new team, it’s impossible. I think unless we show this way is possible, then no-one new comes in future. If it becomes too difficult, that’s not good.”

Pat Symonds of Williams reflected that over the years the ‘listed parts’ restricted items no longer included high price but low performance items. This meant teams were not necessarily buying in bang for their buck, “But it’s since been eroded. I think this could be quite a bad development for F1,” reflected the Williams technical director.

Now along come Cadillac as the latest F1 startup and as yet besides acquiring Ferrari power units, the exact arrangement over non’ listed parts’ is not clear. However, its is almost certain the US giant car manufacture will acquire a number of non ‘listed parts’ presumably from Ferrari, as Haas have proven its a quick way to get an F1 start up onto the grid.

Wolff further complaints about Cadillac F1 entry

 

 

 

Haas reject Ferrari 2025 suspension

Yet Haas F1 announcement they are breaking with tradition and not acquiring the Ferrari 2025 suspension may in fact be smoke and mirrors decision. Ferrari are reverting to a front suspension based on a pull rod design, something they last used back in 2015.

The reason for the Ferrari switch is not simple, given the different push or pul rod systems bring their own advantages and disadvantages, however the team feels the driving styles of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are more similar than the team’s previous pairing and both better suit a pull rod front suspensions design.

Haas however, believe this is not the best solution for them as Ayao Komastu explains to The Race. “That’s a significant moment in my mind, because so far in nine seasons of Haas F1 team, we always went with Ferrari’s latest supply, and not because that was the informed choice, because that was the safest and easiest choice,” said the Haas team boss.

Haas F1 will carry over the Ferrari 2024 suspension following deep discussions between Technical Director Andrea De Sordo, Head of Aero Davide Paganelli and Performance Director Damien Brayshaw.

Wolff’s game of “blink first” finally over

 

 

 

Ferrari “99% new parts” for 2025 F1 car

“It’s not like this year we wanted to make a point, but Andrea and Davide and Damien came to me and said [this was the right decision],” Komatsu revealed. “They’ve been talking about this for the last few seasons, but we never actually did carry over the front suspension.”

“But when they looked at it properly in terms of, ‘OK, if we buy Ferrari’s ’25 front suspension, when are we going to have the information available and what does that mean in terms of the aero hit?’ because you have to take a hit first, you have to recover. So comparing that and how much potential that unlocks against [the benefit if you] don’t stop development because we carry over the front suspension.”

“They’ve done the proper study and the conclusion was we should do a carryover. Then we had the confidence to then go for that decision, whereas before we didn’t,” Komatsu concluded.

Despite being the form team towards the end of the 2024 season closing down McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ to just fourteen points at the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur claimed the team were developing a whole new car for 2025, where “99% of the parts are new.”

With 2026 new big F1 car design rules around the corner, this may result in more budget for this year’s car in Maranello, than other teams are prepared to spend. Whether it compromises their challenge for 2026, only time will tell. But with the signing of Lewis Hamilton on a huge three year contract, it cold be this is the year Ferrari have their best shot at a title since the year when Hamilton won his maiden drivers championship and Ferrari clinched the constructors title race.

F1 ladder exposed by other single seater series

 

 

 

RB boss marks Tsunoda’s card

Yuki Tsunoda will be the first F1 driver sacked this season says 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve. The Japanese driver is entering his fifth season in F1 for the Red Bull sister team and will connote alongside rookie Isack Hadjar.

“Tsunoda will be the first driver to leave the grid,” Villeneuve told the Action Network. “He’s only there because of Honda. At some point this will stop.” Liam Lawson being promoted ahead of Tsunoda despite the New Zealander’s relative ack of experience was a surprise to many senior paddock observers but both Dr. Helmut Marko and Christian Horner were on hand to explain the decision.

“In terms of speed, Tsunoda is definitely the faster of the two at the moment,” Dr, Marko told Bild Sport., but noted “he lacks the necessary consistency and continues to make mistakes.” Marko admitted Red Bull were concerned Tsunoda “slows down and loses his composure” when he gets rattled. “His outbursts of anger have improved considerably but remain an issue,” said Marko. “He loses control.”…. READ MORE