Gene Haas is to become a sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari before launching his own team in 2016, the Italian team has announced. Haas Automation logos will appear on the F14 T from this weekend's race in Britain.
Ferrari has always been the intended partner for Haas, despite Mercedes also being mentioned. However, today's announcement stopped short of confirming that a deal for Haas to use Ferrari engines and other technology has been done, saying only that discussions are still ongoing.
Rule changes for 2015 mean that Haas needs only to own the IP of his chassis and bodywork, and he can buy everything else he needs from Ferrari.
"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," said Haas. "Scuderia Ferrari is F1's most prestigious and decorated team with a large, loyal and passionate fan base. Exposing Scuderia Ferrari fans and Ferrari customers to the quality of Haas Automation CNC machine tools is an important first step to expanding our global reach."
"We are pleased to welcome Haas Automation as our newest Official Supplier," said team boss Marco Mattiacci. "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 with Haas a number of potential areas of collaboration, and this agreement is an immediate opportunity that we are pursuing, which proves Haas' interest in Formula One.
"This collaboration will enable Haas Automation to reinforce its brand awareness and promote its products and services around the world, thanks to the appeal of Scuderia Ferrari and the global reach of Formula One. We are therefore delighted to make this announcement, which sees another premium brand join our portfolio of partners.
"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 and on this front, technical discussions are ongoing between us."
