F1 team introductions: the acquisition of Hülkenberg and more potential with a new sponsor. Haas hopes for a successful season

As the 2023 season inexorably approaches, it’s time to introduce all the teams that will be participating in the season. In this episode, we focus on Haas. A team that has taken a huge leap forward in the last year. With a new driver with Formula One experience, Haas will be hoping for more consistent performances and regular battles for points.

Haas in the 2022 season

The only American stable on the grid has had a busy few years. After a 2021 season in which it didn’t score a single point, it had to deal with problems before the first race of 2022 even started.

Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Haas terminated its contract with title sponsor Uralkali. At the same time, Russian driver Nikita Mazepin was dismissed from the team. Experienced Kevin Magnussen was brought in as a replacement.

The Danish driver had already brought his team great joy in the opening race of the season when he scored 10 points for fifth place. Magnussen’s best performance, however, came later in the 2022 season. In a chaotic qualifying session at the VC São Paulo, he took his first ever pole position for Haas.

Magnussen finished the season in 13th place with 25 points. His teammate, Mick Schumacher scored just twice in the season, finishing 16th with 12 points.

With 37 points, Haas was eighth overall, two points ahead of AlphaTauri. He has even higher ambitions for the new season. He started development on this year’s car before the summer break, and thanks to a cash injection from sponsor MoneyGram, the stable should be close to the budget ceiling.

VF-23 design

Haas’ new monocoque has undergone a similar evolution to Ferrari’s other customer on the grid, Alfa Romeo. The VF-23 has a significantly wider engine cover compared to its predecessor, indicating a change in the cooling system.

The shift of the radiators to the rear of the car is also indicated by the narrower inlet in the side skirts, which has also been moved to the rear. The side skirts thus resemble the design that Ferrari already came up with last year after these modifications.

Haas is probably trying to achieve these changes by moving the centre of aerodynamic pressure closer to the rear, and thus improving the stability of the rear wheels. That’s what a lot of teams have had problems with for much of the season.

Like almost all the other teams, Haas has decided to save paint when designing the paintwork of its car. The VF-23 is painted in the classic red and white only on the top side, so from the side view it is completely black except for the sponsor stickers.

The return of Hülkenberg

Mick Schumacher retired from the team after a not-so-good season. But the German youngster is not parting ways with Formula 1 just yet, as he has been signed by Mercedes as a reserve driver for 2023. As part of the deal, he will then also serve in this role at McLaren.

Schumacher will be replaced at Haas by compatriot Nico Hülkenberg. The 35-year-old German hasn’t had a permanent seat in the queen of motorsport since 2019, but has entered four Grands Prix as a reserve driver for Racing Point and later Aston Martin.

The Hülkenberg-Magnussen pairing of names immediately brings back memories of the 2017 Hungarian GP, when the two drivers exchanged harsh words during post-race interviews after a fierce on-track battle.

However, the German driver assured the media that this clash will not affect their performance in the team. “We are both adults, we respect each other and we will race in the interest of the team. So I don’t think we will have problems,” RacingNews365 quoted Hülkenberg as saying.

What to expect from Haas?

That’s the really big question. The American stable is one of the teams to watch out for. Especially after the pre-season tests in Bahrain, things are looking very different. Can Haas perform consistently throughout the season?

What to expect from a highly experienced driver duo right on the race track? How much will the team’s finances affect its performance throughout the course of the 2023 season? We will get the answer to all these questions during the upcoming season.

F1, RacingNews365, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team