The introduction of a new, more demanding budget cap brought to the fore doubts about the limits of cooperation between the different teams on the Formula 1 grid.
It’s no secret to say that Haas has used some Ferrari parts over the last few years, but now their collaboration seems to have gone a step further, with some of the Italian team’s employees, whom Mattia Binotto was forced to fire due to cutbacks, working for Haas , but at the same time staying in Maranello .
Due to this decision, the American structure created its own headquarters or section in the Maranello factory, to carry out joint operations with Ferrari under the same roof, one of the reasons that has set off alarms among its rival teams.
Furthermore, Haas is known for being the only team on the grid that does not build its own cars: the Italian company Dallara does it for them. However, this took a backseat last season as the Americans were out of contention, but now they are back in the middle and it looks like their situation is starting to get annoying, especially for McLaren.
“I want everyone to understand that our position does not depend on the speed of our rivals, whether the Haas are fast or slow,” McLaren chief executive Andreas Seidl said after the first three races of the season.
“Our principles have not changed over the years. And we believe that no matter how many teams there are in Formula 1, whether it is 10, 11 or 12, they should all be designers of their own cars. And this means that it is impossible to exchange information between multiple teams.
“You can use the power units and gearboxes of other teams, but you must not share the infrastructure, under any circumstances, because as soon as two teams start working under the same roof, the exchange of information is inevitable.”
“The FIA says it’s hard to police those things. So ok, let’s just ban it as we can’t control it. First of all, the lower team has a great chance to achieve more positive results. And secondly, and this is more important to us, the leading team also gains an advantage by working together ‘with their friends’.
“Fortunately, right now we are having a dialogue between the teams, the FIA and Formula 1. And I am convinced that in the coming years we will reach an agreement so that the situation improves,” concluded the McLaren director.
