F1 | Gene Haas: “We're not ready for an American driver yet, we need experience”

In home Haas we're back to talking about American pilots. After the controversy that arose from the words released more than a month ago by the team principal Gunther steiner (“There is currently no driver ready for Formula 1 in the United States”), the owner Gene Haas, interviewed by the official Formula 1 website, tried to throw water on the fire: “Gunther Steiner was asked what he thought about the possibility of having an American driver in Formula 1 and, more specifically, with the Haas F1 team. He responded by saying that this need is not at the top of our priority list at the moment, and there are those who wanted to make a lot of assumptions, triggering controversy".

For Haas, it's all about priorities: “You have to consider that we are a young team, that we are still completing our learning and growth process in Formula 1: for us today, having an inexperienced driver is not the best thing. We are obviously not saying that we don't want an American driver, but that we are in our third season in Formula 1, and we are growing thanks also to the contribution of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, both drivers capable of directing the team. We want to become a team that can aspire to the podium, not just the points.".

When the Kannapolis team has greater stability, perhaps the possibility of hiring an American driver will be considered: “This debate about American pilots isn't really a debate. I believe in American drivers, my NASCAR team is full of them, and we have won many races and championships together. Obviously the series is different, but I am convinced that there are young American drivers with potential that can lead them to compete in Formula 1. We're just not ready for this yet".

Federico Martino