Mercedes and Ferrari have taken note of the results recently achieved by Haas in light of their unique approach to car development in 2022. While most F1 teams have consistently brought new parts to the track over the first half of the season, Haas are yet to make any major changes to their car. This is due to the team wanting to fully understand the VF-22 – and maximise its potential – before applying an update package later in the year. Despite this lack of development, Haas recently logged their first double points finishes of the campaign in Britain and Austria – the latter marking their biggest haul so far.
Mercedes admit Haas have been "on our radar"
Given the difference in approach between Haas and their rivals, the American-led outfit have caught the attention of some of the sport's top teams. "It's great that Guenther [Steiner's] gang can be competitive out there," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told media, including RacingNews365.com . "We've seen it in the last few races, they were right up there, and we certainly had them on the radar to compete with us, and that's fun. "Not bringing any update, it shows that if you put the car in a happy spot set-up-wise, this is where you can unlock a lot of potential, rather than adding a tenth or two in aerodynamic downforce that doesn't translate always in lap time."
Binotto: It's great for Haas that they're still doing well
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto, whose team provide Haas with power units and other car parts through a close collaboration, also offered words of encouragement. He did argue, however, that the "prescriptive" nature of F1's new regulations has lessened the impact of bringing updates in 2022. "I think that some teams, top teams, brought some upgrades, but sometimes what you're doing is really small details," he explained. "The cars are quite prescriptive and there is not much you can do after… you've decided the layout of the car and you've decided the first project. "It's great for them that they're still doing well. It's about maximising always the potential of the car at each single race. "Maybe those last two races are adapting better to their car, I don't know, but on our side as well, we didn't bring much development this season so far."
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