Gunther Steiner, the representative of the Haas F1 team, has refuted claims that the updated VF-22 introduced at the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix could be ridiculed as a ‘white Ferrari’.
At this weekend’s F1 Hungarian Grand Prix, only Kevin Magnussen had a long-awaited updated version of the car. Early photos of the car reveal significant visual similarities to engine supplier Ferrari’s 2022 car.
However, Gunther Steiner has openly admitted that the Haas F1 team was inspired by Ferrari’s aerodynamic concept.
“I would say quite a lot of things. Is there a problem?” Gunther Steiner told Ekstra Bladet.
Asked if he expects to be accused of copying, Gunther Steiner replied, “I expect it to be faster.”
“If someone said we copied, I would say ‘why copy Williams?’ I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it’s a completely different concept and they are slower than us.”
“So if you copy, you copy the best. Now it’s Ferrari and Red Bull,” insisted Gunther Steiner.
“We have the same engine as Ferrari, the same gearbox, the same suspension. Why copy others when they are winning races? One plus one is still two.”
Mick Schumacher is driving an old-spec car in Hungary this weekend after a series of crashes that eroded spare parts for the Haas F1 team.
However, Gunther Steiner argues that a side-by-side comparison of the old and new specs is useful.
“Hopefully the data confirms that the car is doing what it’s supposed to do,” said Steiner.
“You can put the new car side by side with the old car. If the data shows that you made the right choice, then you need to find the right set-up.”
“That’s the next step because we have to use the downforce in the best possible way.”
Category: F1 / Hearth / F1 Hungarian Grand Prix
