Haas F1 is still punching above its weight. However, "We must remember that we're débutants," warns Gunther Steiner, the team principal - the man charged with the ominous responsibility of delivering on Gene Haas' vision. "This is a very technologically challenging championship, so it isn't easy to consistently achieve the same level as other teams that have been racing for years."

To compete at this level, Haas F1 has applied a similar strategy used by Gene Haas to great effect in the world of NASCAR: building relationships with advanced technology partners and buying-in critical parts, as allowed by F1 regulations. The Haas VF-16 uses power units and gearboxes supplied by Ferrari, while the carbon fiber, monocoque chassis was made by Haas F1 Team in partnership with Dallara, another well-known Italian company. Haas F1 Team also makes plenty of its own parts, machined in-house.

"In our workshop we make racetrack equipment and parts for the wind tunnel tests," explains Steiner. "In the future, however, we want to increase the number of components we make, perhaps even becoming a parts supplier to Ferrari!"

An ambitious aim, especially considering the complexity of some of the components used in Formula 1 cars. "In production terms we already have an excellent set of machine tools at our disposal, but we need to nurture technicians and operators in order to develop the necessary know-how," says Steiner. "It takes time."

"We're learning a lot," adds Brad Harris, CNC Operations Manager of Haas F1. "Developing effective work cycles to make parts for the wind tunnel has been a major challenge, particularly as we're competing with the production departments of other teams, which are already operating to the highest standards."

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