Will there soon be two American teams in F1? Indeed, while the sport can already count on the presence of Haas F1, Andretti-Cadillac, described as a project « 100% American » by Mark Reuss, the president of General Motors, could soon enter the sport (if the call for tenders launched by the FIA succeeds).
Should we see this as bad news for Haas F1? Not only will the American team see (like all the other teams) its revenues being diluted by 10%; but it will still lose its status, or its identity, as the only American team in F1.
At a time when F1 grows and grows in the USA, it is a status of which Haas is not a little proud. Again last October, in the official press release presenting the sponsorship agreement with MoneyGram, Haas F1 prided itself on being “the only American team participating in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship. »
But that could therefore end with the arrival of Andretti-Cadillac.
In addition to the loss of this prestigious or in any case unique status, Haas could also see most of the potential American sponsors go straight to Andretti and Cadillac, two more prestigious brands, admittedly, than a machine tool company (but having still proves its worth in motorsport).
Given the growth of the sport in the United States, it would potentially be millions who would slip through the fingers of Haas.
Günther Steiner, one of the most fervent opponents of the Andretti project
It is therefore not very surprising to note that over the last few months, Günther Steiner, the boss of Haas, has been one of the fiercest opponents of Andretti’s entry into F1.
In May 2022, he mocked the arguments pushing for the extension of the grid: “We currently have 10 stable teams, which for a long time was not possible in F1. Or was not happening in F1. Now, for five years, everything is quite stable and fine. Why would the 10 teams say: let’s dilute our value to bring in someone new? What is the interest for us? We have been here a long time. If the FOM wants to distribute more money or something else, that’s another discussion. But having more teams does not mean being better. »
It is all the same interesting to note that Günther Steiner did not highlight here Haas’ desire to keep its status as the only American team. The boss was only talking about finances and revenue dilution. And it may not be entirely a coincidence…
Haas never really capitalized on their status as the only American team
Because since its entry into F1, Haas F1 has never wanted, or been able, to enhance its status as a team made in the USA.
This sort of emotional underinvestment translated into several points.
First, by the location of the team. The headquarters in South Carolina (HQ of the Haas company) does not play a big role in the day-to-day operations of the F1 team. The main part is played in the United Kingdom, in Banbury, or in Italy, with Dallara or in the new engineering factory built in Maranello. While for its part, the Andretti-Cadillac project claims the installation of fundamental infrastructure across the Atlantic.
In terms of drivers, it’s not much better. Haas has never counted an American pilot in its ranks… Worse, Günther Steiner has long been very skeptical about the level of American pilots.
In May 2022 again, he felt that he had not yet found an American driver good enough to start at Haas: “If there was a good American driver available, then we would take him. We would still have to be careful because in my opinion, it would be useless to take someone who is bound to fail. It would be selfish of us to put an American in the car just to serve our interests, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. »
Such an attitude contrasts with that of Michael Andretti, who has long been pushing for the arrival of American Colton Herta in F1.
Moreover, for 2023, Günther Steiner has also preferred to replace Mick Schumacher with Nico Hülkenberg, a German driver with another German driver).
In terms of sponsors, Haas has not capitalized on its status as an American team either. MoneyGram, the new title sponsor, is certainly an American company, but it is also lost among a myriad of notably German sponsors (1&1 for example). Paradoxically McLaren, which was able to attract CNN, Goldman Sachs, Dell, Coca-Cola, CNBC, Gopuff, etc., seems more American than Haas in this respect! It is undoubtedly the influence of having an American very active in the sponsorship market, with Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing…
Günther Steiner, the boss, is among the rest among the first to recognize that Haas may not have done enough to highlight its American identity.
“We need to use this American identity more now because there is more presence in the United States” he confided last summer. “Before, we could try to arouse interest but the response was weak. But now, knowing that the answer is important, for sure we will focus on that. »
It must be said that Haas had something to disorient people during the year 2021, when the livery of the American team was repainted… in the colors of the Russian Federation – Nikita Mazepin bringing a title sponsor with the Russian oil company Uralkali, very close to Putin’s power…
A loss of status to put into perspective
The arrival of Andretti-Cadillac therefore risks being the « final nail in the coffin » of Haas F1’s American identity, which has never been fully realized.
But is it such a terrible evil? On the one hand, Haas has lived for the moment without relying on this status, and seems to be a team with a more German or European identity than American.
On the other hand, the financial health of the team will remain very good (or much better than in the past) without even these multiple supports.
Because with the arrival of MoneyGram, Haas now operates at the level of capped budgets. Finally, note that the entry into the running of Andretti-Cadillac may allow Haas, by extension, to also attract new sponsors – if interest in F1 in the USA continues to grow thanks to General Motors in the USA.
All in all, Haas may have missed opportunities in the past to capitalize on its American identity…but that shouldn’t jeopardize the team’s growth plan. So much the worse or rather so much the better!
