Haas logo on the side pod of Ferrari's 2014 Formula One car
American businessman and NASCAR team co-owner Gene Haas plans to launch a Formula One team in 2016, but he will be making his presence felt in the sport much sooner by becoming a sponsor of Ferrari. The logo of Haas Automation, a CNC machine company founded by Haas, appeared on Ferrari’s F1 cars during the past weekend’s British Grand Prix, and it will stay there up until the end of the 2015 season. In 2016, Haas Automation is expected to become the title sponsor of Haas’ own F1 team.
In a statement, Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci said his team and Haas have been exploring a number of potential areas of collaboration. In respect to Haas’ plans to field his own F1 team in 2016, Mattiacci said there were “technical discussions” taking place between Ferrari and Haas.
The comments have already led to speculation that Ferrari may end up as the engine supplier to Haas’ F1 team. Of course, by the time the 2016 season rolls around, Haas will have three other suppliers to choose from: Honda, Mercedes AMG and Renault.
