Sponsors would be interested in investing in Haas

The Russian invasion in Ukraine had strong repercussions on Haas. The American team had been under Russian ownership since the beginning of 2021. Nikita Mazepin had arrived as a driver, bringing with him the lucrative financial contribution of the company Uralkali, led by his father. The war put an end to this partnership, and Mazepin and his father were dismissed. Haas, already struggling with its finances, is now searching for new sponsors in an effort to stay afloat.

For Günther Steiner, the team director, some have shown their interest. « There is a good interest at the moment, I must say. […] I don’t make any promises. I think that with sponsorship, we have started a bit late in actively looking for it from the beginning. That’s my opinion. I believe that now we are going to make progress. I am very confident and we will show people that we want to come back, they know where we had fallen. I think we have good chances. »

The Gene Haas team has partnerships with companies 1&1 and IONOS. The premier category is expanding in the United States, notably with the arrival of a second Grand Prix in Miami, following the one in Texas. Günther Steiner explained that it is, however, difficult to find an American sponsor.

« It is just difficult in the United States to find that big sponsor at the moment, but it’s not only difficult for Formula 1. If you look in the American categories, there is some sponsoring but not really big contracts. In Nascar, in the past, a car drove with a full livery throughout the year. Nowadays, there aren’t many cars that can do it anymore, because it’s a lot of money.

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Despite its financial problems, Haas seems to have come closer to the other teams on the track and appeared in good shape during the Bahrain tests. Good results in the early races could attract sponsors for the American team.