Gene Haas — founder and president of Haas Automation — is now an official sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari and has plans to launch his own team in 2016. Haas Automation logos first appeared on Ferrari’s F14 T at the recent British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Media reports say that Ferrari has always been the intended partner for Haas, despite Mercedes also being mentioned, although this announcement stopped short of confirming that a deal for Haas to use Ferrari engines and other technology has been done. Rule changes for 2015 mean that Mr Haas only needs to own the IP of his chassis and bodywork; he can buy everything else from Ferrari.
Mr Haas says: “Haas Automation is a premium brand, and there’s no better way to drive that point home than to connect it with Scuderia Ferrari on motor racing’s biggest stage. Ferrari is F1’s most prestigious and decorated team with a large, loyal and passionate fan base. Exposing its fans and customers to the quality of Haas Automation CNC machine tools is an important first step to expanding our global reach.”
Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci said: “We are pleased to welcome Haas Automation as our newest official supplier. This agreement strengthens our existing connections with the USA — an important market not only for our company but also for Scuderia Ferrari, as it is one where the team already benefits from several important partnerships.
“Over the past few months, we have been exploring a number of potential areas of collaboration with Haas, and this agreement is an immediate opportunity that we are pursuing, which proves Haas’s interest in Formula One . . . In parallel, but as a separate project, Haas is committed to entering Formula One with its own team — a testimony to the growing appeal of our sport in the USA. On this front, technical discussions are on-going between us.”