The Haas team will save $250,000 by reducing its pit wall.
The Haas F1 team has found a curious and intelligent way to reduce costs in Formula 1, something crucial since a budget cap was introduced two seasons ago that forces teams to take care of their accounts so as not to suffer sanctions or limitations on the development of his car.
It is for this reason that Haas F1 has decided to use a new pit wall in a reduced version that will save no less than $250,000. From this place, in the pit-lane, the engineers of each team driver, the head of the team, strategy, engineering… closely follow what is happening in the race and make key decisions.
To date, the Haas F1 team had six people on the pit wall during grand prix, but from now on it will only be three. These personnel will be relocated inside the box, from where they will continue to do the same job. Only Guenter Steiner (Main Team), Peter Crolla (Team Manager) and Ayao Komatsu (Engineering Director) will remain on the wall.
The money saved by the Haas team with this change will go towards the development of the Haas VF-23 with which Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg are competing this year, an intelligent decision that can bring significant benefits in terms of track results. .
“Would you rather have six people out there or $250,000 worth of car upgrades? I know what we’re doing. The team came up with this idea, and I said if I have to stay in the pit, I’m fine. I don’t need to be in the garage. wall,” Steiner told Motorsport.com.
“They told me that with three seats we cover what is necessary, and we reorganize ourselves, but above all it saves money that we allocate to development, because we are at the cost limit. We are already starting with the updates (…) if they are successful in the wind tunnel, we will take them to the circuit”, he explained.
Haas’s idea will most likely be copied by other teams as it can certainly bring performance benefits to the car. The American team seeks to take a new step forward this year compared to a positive 2022, in which the team led by Steiner finished in eighth place in the Constructors’ World Championship with 37 points.
