Initial Indications of Haas’s Major Overhaul and Upcoming Plans

The initial actual visuals of Haas’s 2023 VF-23 Formula 1 vehicle provide a glimpse into the team’s prioritization of their extensive overhaul of the 2022 design, as described by them.

On Saturday, Haas successfully conducted a shakedown at Silverstone, unveiling their 2023 Formula 1 car for the first time following the unveiling of its livery earlier in February.

Like Red Bull, Haas has relocated the front sidepod cooling inlet and the entrance to the venturi tunnels slightly backwards in comparison to the previous year.

This alteration results in a slight reduction in the length of the high-performing downforce-producing tunnels, in an effort to attain stability and decrease the likelihood of a phenomenon known as “porpoising.”

The basic form of Haas’s sidepods resembles the Ferrari-influenced ones used in the latter half of 2022, but there are signs that the arrangement of the various radiators that comprise the cooling system has been rearranged. This aligns with the repositioning of the inlets towards the rear and the extension of the sidepods themselves towards the back.

Given Haas’s heavy dependence on Ferrari components, this could also suggest that Ferrari may be taking a similar approach with its own sidepods.

Technical Director Simone Resta is of the opinion that the VF-23 will allow Haas to address all the “many lessons” learned from the previous year. The VF-23 is the second car developed by Haas’s reconfigured technical team, which now includes a design office in Maranello.

According to Resta, his technical team is a “quite young group” that was formed during the winter of 2020/2021.

Resta characterized the 2023 car as having emerged from a “better rhythm and better collaboration as a team,” and emphasized that the visible exterior modifications do not accurately reflect the extent of the differences within the car.

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According to Resta, “We’re examining all the key areas of change from 2022 to 2023.”

Resta stated, “We attempted to preserve some of the components from last season’s car while striving to enhance the aerodynamic performance, reduce the weight of the components, and improve their quality.”

Resta emphasized, “There has been a significant overhaul of the car.”

Resta explained, “Some of the components may not appear dramatically different, it’s essentially an evolution of the 2022 car.”

However, Resta also noted, “There has been a comprehensive overhaul of the car, encompassing numerous components.”

One of Haas’s challenges in 2022 was the lack of in-season development opportunities.

At the beginning of the 2022 season, Haas performed exceptionally well, largely due to its decision to forego the 2021 season in order to concentrate on the new technical regulations.

However, Haas only received one significant upgrade package in 2022, which was initially installed on Kevin Magnussen’s car ahead of the summer break in Hungary. Due to this, Haas was unable to sustain its strong performance from the start of the season and failed to consistently score points.

Haas earned 34 of its 37 total points in the first 11 races, resulting in the lowest points accumulation of any team in the latter half of the season.

Despite this, Haas still managed to secure eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship, which was its best result since finishing fifth in 2018. This achievement brought about an increase in prize money.

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Resta has indicated that this increase in prize money has been taken into consideration in Haas’s budget for 2023 and will provide additional resources for investment in the technical aspect. He also stated that one of the objectives of the new project is to have a more robust in-season development program.

Regarding upgrades, Resta commented, “It’s probably one of the most talked-about topics in Formula 1, and I don’t want to ruin the surprise for anyone.”

“Certainly, we will have a more robust upgrade program compared to last year and we are still working on it, we are still in the early stages.”

Resta added, “The design of the launching vehicle has just been completed, and the team is actively engaged in its development. We have a plan in place, but it’s too soon to specify exactly what we will do and when.”

Initial Indications of Haas’s Initial Indications of Haas’s

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