Photo by Cliff Mason/ Getty Images
The question was the problem came down to whether the brakes were at fault, or did the situation happen due to the Dallara chassis that the team used.
On Tuesday, the team announced that the brake sponsor of the squad would not become official until the end of the first tests next month in Spain. Team Manager Guenther Steiner could not specify to ESPN F1 whether the team could make up their minds if one or the other supplier would be seriously considered.
“On the brake supplier we will do a parallel program and then find out which way to go,” Steiner said. “We are going to make a decision after Barcelona test. We are ready to use either-or for the race season, so we are prepared to have options — that was always our goal. We didn’t say we ditched somebody, we just wanted to see what else was out there and have options if one showed to be a lot better. It could be either-or, we don’t know yet.”
Because the chassis are very different this upcoming season, it might be tough for Haas to figure out what might be good or not for them since the testing before was done on the previous year’s model. But Steiner noted that those tests were only indications that both items were still in consideration for 2017.
“You are absolutely correct. He added. “We couldn’t test our brakes like they needed to be for this season, last year, so we planned for having the option. Last year we came to the conclusion the other material was good as well so we just need to double check everything for this year. The brakes are bigger now, the discs are wider, thicker. We just need to check the material and make sure it all works. The best way is always to have an option, if you can, and that’s what we did.”
The team will certainly have plenty of time to figure this situation out as the tests will be scheduled for the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on February 27-March 2nd, and another four days one week later at the same venue, beginning on March 7th.
Mark Gero has written formula one racing stories since 2002 on the Internet for such sites as Motorsport.com, Racing Information Service News and for a brief time at the Munich Eye newspaper in Munich, Germany along with Autoweek online. Mark also has a diploma in journalism from the London School of Journalism in London, England and in addition a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.