The arrival of Haas F1 Team on the gird is one of the most highly anticipated events of the forthcoming 2016 Formula 1 season, as it has been for several months. With silly season on the horizon it’s no surprise to hear that everyone wants to know who will be driving for the new, Californian based F1 team. Several talents have been linked to the team in the previous weeks. Some of the names you may recognize include GP2 driver, Alexander Rossi and Ferrari reserve driver, 
Esteban Gutierrez (pictured on the left).
Esteban Gutierrez is the fan favourite to get a seat within the team. Although this has been the case for a few weeks, rumours have recently caught alight again. Gene Haas (Haas F1 Team owner) spoke while in Mexico (where the FIA’s Sport Conference will be held) stating that he had indeed met Gutierrez and thought he was “a good guy and talented” offering praise to the 23-year-old Mexican. This alone could have fueled conversations between fans. However, the team owner was then asked whether Gutierrez was in the running for a seat within his team next year. In true team principal style, Gene Haas shrugged this off saying “anything is possible”. Although this is, in no sense, a confirmation of where Gutierrez stands with the team, it certainly isn’t a denial of any links with the Ferrari reserve.
The links between Esteban Gutierrez and Haas F1 Team began when the partnership between Haas and Ferrari became clear as Ferrari are acting as a donor of sorts. Ferrari have been allowing the Haas team access to parts aside from the power units at an extra cost. This isn’t a common occurrence within the sport and has caused some controversy. However, the relationship between the two teams has been compared to that between Red Bull and Toro Rosso, who refer to each other as sister teams. An example of how the two teams ‘sister’ each other is how a driver may compete with Toro Rosso before they move onto Red Bull to compete, meaning Red Bull is referred to as the dominant of the sisters, this does not mean their results are better however. Applying this act of ‘sistering’ to Ferrari and Haas would additionally suggest that Gutierrez is likely to get a seat within the new team as it has been suggested that Ferrari want to keep Gutierrez in the practice of racing regularly until Ferrari are in a position to offer him a racing seat. This theory however does not take into account the question of who will be driving at Ferr
ari in 2016.
Earlier I mentioned Alexander Rossi (pictured on the right). Although he may not be the most popular runner in the Haas seat race, he has been linked to the team on several occasions. One of the biggest reasons he has been considered a possible Haas racer is because he is American. Haas were keen to keep the team as close to home as they wish to encourage the American fans of the sport and help the American following grow. This is great for the sport as it’s no secret F1 has struggled with getting a following in the US as they already have so many fantastic Motorsports. Despite this, recently the following in the States has begun to pick up. Having an American driver in an American team would really give the patriotic American fans someone to root for during the race.
Although Haas are openly keen to keep the team close to home, they have emphasized that the most important thing for them currently is to have a driver with a reasonable amount of experience in F1. This once again leans in Gutierrez’s favour. As you can see, it’s simply too close to know who will be getting seats in the new team, however, Haas have said they would like to be in clear talks by August and announce their drivers in September. Hopefully we won’t have too long to wait.
Images courtesy of Scuderia Ferrari and GP2 Media Service
