Gene Haas intends to stay in F1 as per team principal Guenther Steiner but they are waiting for the new Concorde Agreement to see and sign it to make it official.
Following the troubles in the 2019 F1 season whether on track or off it with Rich Energy, the future of Haas has been questioned highly. It has been a common topic with whomever Steiner speaks, while Gene has largely stayed away from this humdrum.
In a latest discussion with selected media including F1 website, Steiner has pinned it on the new Concorde Agreement, where he feels the new budget cap is certainly help in their decision making along with better distribution of the prize money.
While the former is known to $145 million from 2021 onward, the latter remains a question mark with no details out and unlikely to be divulged as that side of information has always been kept in dark and only come to light via reported stories from sources.
Steiner seems confident of Haas staying but keeps it open still and doesn’t want to make it official until they sign the Concorde Agreement. “I think the budget cap is a good thing for the sport in general, even if it is not completely equal with everybody,” he said.
“We know that we will still be under the budget cap but it is a very good step. Now the difference will not be $150m to the big teams but maybe $20m which is a very good step. There is a also the chance to break even in the future.
“You need to do a good job, that you break even. Some people can for sure make money on it. The big teams, if they can keep the sponsorship they have got, and distribution of the prize fund will be a lot more equal in the new commercial agreement, there is a chance to do that.
“That needs to be my aim, to make it breakeven for Mr Haas. If I make that happen, for sure he will sign the Concorde Agreement. We haven’t yet seen the final Concorde Agreement or the Commercial Agreement. We roughly know what it looks like.
“It should come in the next weeks or months, I don’t know exactly when, but obviously FOM had to wait to get all the new budget caps through, so it took steps back, but it will come. Once we have got it, then Mr Haas can decide what he wants to do but at the moment, his intention is stay within the sport, but before it is signed, I cannot say this is what is going to happen.
“The team, to remind everybody, is owned 100% by him so he can make the decisions and we will go from there but I’m very positive about it, where we are now. We are getting through this difficult period with the coronavirus pretty well at the moment. We’re doing the right things, we’re living within our means, and I think Haas is here to stay,” summed up Steiner.
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