It's all about the money, follow the money, that's what led Gene to Russia in the 1st place

…,,but are they solid now without those funds?

None of us knows what's going on behind the curtain . If Haas is really comfortable with the current $$$ situation then there isn't much incentive to share a piece of the team .

I personally think he doesn't want to give up a controlling share of the team and I think Andretti would want that . And if it turns out this year's car is competitive the value of the team will rise . I guess for now we sit back , grab some popcorn 🍿 and see how this plays out .

I know many people inside Hass but wouldn't feel comfortable about asking

Haas ran under Uralkali as title sponsor last year to bring into F1 a 'nobody' ie just to pander to another billionaires son's dad. As a serious F1 team with any real ambition you just don't do that unless you need the money

Haas spent nothing on developing last years car in what I presume was an approach to save money, time and resource so they could concentrate on the new 2022 car to hopefully make a meaningful step up the grid

In Maranello they've got a really good bunch of hard working technical guys, I had high hopes for the team this year, at least scoring a few points but I don't see this happening unless someone comes in with enough money so the team can compete the season on a full budget

I think Gene Haas is seeing the potential financial return from his team, and is willing to spend to realize it. Until this season or next, the money was poured down a rathole.

You have to wonder how or maybe IF on the other end of the grid will the spending cap tighten the field up, or will they use some inter company trickery to get around it? How does RBR get around the cap?

Gene Haas is stating they prefer to replace Mazepin with a driver with F1 experience . If that is accurate how many unemployed F1 drivers are there ? Obviously Giovinazzi and Hulkenberg come to mind but who else ? Yes I know both of those drivers are currently employed .

Let's say it's a list of 5 names , how many can bring $$$ to the table ? And then there are the longshots , several Indycar drivers have a super license. Can any of them bring money ? It's all quite interesting .

I'll be waiting for his call. ;):D

Good luck Paul 😁

Looks like they want the sponsorship money spent on Haas back. Money spent already. I wonder maybe they ask Russia for the funds.

Well they just brought back Magnussen as their other driver... Yawn.
Guess it's hard to resist the lure of F1 - I'm surprised he went for it though. I mean they could pull off a Brawn, but the odds aren't great.

How does it feel to be Mags? Dumped by the team one season, and then a little over a year later that same team comes calling again. But I guess the allure of being an F1 driver is too much to decline. Well, good for him. Hope the car is better this time around.

I was pulling for the Hulk.

Hulkenberg has done some stellar stand in drives
he deserves a full ride....

Not sure why, but I do feel a bit sad for Mazepin.

No real fault of his own.

K-mag is back. How long until he starts telling the world how good he is and we all can suck his balls? I was happy to see him go, actually. F'in Gene Haas.

It would have at least been interesting for Colton Herta, or Alexander Rossi to get a shot.

Reality however, is I doubt either one is interested in being a back-marker in a non-competitive car (highly likely for Haas).

I think every open wheel driver dreams of F1 and even the slowest F1 car is what, 10-20% faster than an Indy car?

I completely agree with you about every open wheel driver having dreams of F1 (I certainly did). :D

At this time in Herta"s and Rossi's careers though, I expect it's also about maximizing the income potential of a limited number of competitive years, in addition to the dreams of youth. Perhaps less so for Herta, as he is younger. Maximizing the career income means victories and championships, which require a competitive car.

Personal sponsorships can significantly affect the income however, and one would think F1 participation should provide more opportunities than IndyCar

Merc's odd looking car:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1646899333.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1646899333.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1646899333.jpg

LeClerc drifting https://mobile.twitter.com/FiftyBucksVT/status/1501848145575174145

I’m excited that the cars are different between teams and that they appear to be less stable than in 2021. The Mercedes looks wild.