Q: It has become somewhat painful to observe the ongoing struggle of the Haas F1 team to climb out of the F1 cellar.
Has there, could there, or will there ever be discussions concerning a cooperation or shared ownership agreement between Haas and Andretti to combine resources, sponsors and maybe the promised GMC involvement?
It seems like a no-brainer, but could it be more complicated than that? If so, why? There has always been talk by the balking F1 teams that Andretti should buy into (or outright) an existing team. To me, such a deal would solve a lot if the current barriers facing both Haas and Andretti. What do you think?
Wiscowerner
CHRIS MEDLAND: I don’t see it at this stage, because just look how competitive F1 is right now (OK, Red Bull aside) and Haas is one of those teams. The sport is growing, and Gene Haas owns a team to promote his automation business around the world, so it is doing the job he wants it to do. Guenther Steiner is also a big asset to the team as some sponsors want to be associated with him, which wouldn’t work for Andretti given how its attempt to by Sauber fell through due to a disagreement over control.
As far as I understand, Andretti has tried speaking to Haas (and all of the other teams, as he said recently) about a potential purchase but Gene isn’t keen on selling right now. As an existing team the time to sell would be after there was no room for another team to come in — either by declining new teams and removing the entry point, or filling the grid with new teams — because then your price skyrockets if the only way into the sport is to buy one of the existing constructors. As it stands, Andretti, Hitech et al have the ability to try and take one of the vacant entries.
And let’s be fair to Haas, this is a team with a top-seven finish this year (and two top sixes last season) and a huge number of Q3 appearances. It’s also a stable platform to build from and maybe expand as a team in future, compared to the new teams that preceded it who all went under.
Q: With the announcement of De Vries being dropped coming before the summer break, does that set up Alex Palou to AlphaTauri next year? I remember reading that he could get out of his McLaren contract if he found a ride before August….
Emily, Pittsburgh PA
CM: I don’t think the situation around Nyck changes anything, but that could well be something that Helmut Marko was already considering. If Daniel Ricciardo performs, then it might spell the end for Yuki Tsunoda, and there would be a vacancy. If Ricciardo doesn’t perform, he’s unlikely to get a huge amount of time, and there would likely be a vacancy in that scenario too. In fact, there could be two if Tsunoda was also dropped now that Red Bull doesn’t need to keep Honda happy.
My gut tells me that Liam Lawson is earning himself a chance with his Super Formula efforts and could well get the nod if only one seat needs filling in 2024, but Palou will certainly be on Marko’s radar and it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if he opted for the Spaniard instead, or alongside Lawson.
But I feel like all of that was playing out anyway even if de Vries wasn’t replaced, because there was almost certainly going to be at least one spot available in 2024 at AlphaTauri.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, July 17, 2019
Q: Just wanted to share two thoughts from the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at Kentucky Speedway. One — The more I watch Christopher Bell, the more I wonder, what if? This guy is good. He came in second, but as always he led a bunch of laps. You can tell he just has a pure talent for driving. What if he’d stayed open-wheel and went from USAC to Indy? I really think this kid could have been the answer us USAC guys needed for a competitive Indy 500 USAC graduate. I really think he could be a contender at Indy (Larson too).
Two — I know there have been some rumblings about a IndyCar return to Kentucky Speedway. I have to say, sitting in the Turn 1 grandstand and looking into a narrow Turn 1 corner, that to me looks very tight for Indy cars. Maybe four car-widths? I can see some wheels touching and some hard hits. Really looking forward to a possible return to Richmond if that materializes.
Andy, St. Marys, OH
ROBIN MILLER: I was at the Chili Bowl a few years ago talking with Keith Kunz, who brought Kyle Larson onto our radar and into the big time. There was a fresh-faced kid standing next to one of Keith’s midgets and I asked about him. “That’s Christopher Bell,” said Kunz, “and he may be better than Larson.” That was hard to fathom back then, but today you can understand the logic, because Bell is a badass on pavement in a stock car and on dirt in a midget or sprinter.
He should be in Cup right now, and I imagine Joe Gibbs just re-signed him for that purpose. I said last week in the Mailbag that I asked Chris about running the Indy 500 and that IndyCar was willing to help, and he wanted to do it but I imagine Joe would put the kibosh on it. But nobody in IndyCar or its ladder system made any move to sign him up back in 2015 and Kyle Busch did, so it was off to stock cars.
As for Kentucky, I recall IndyCar putting on some good races (Ed Carpenter edging Dario for Sarah Fisher’s first win), and now that it’s been repaved I think it would be fine. Looked like a decent crowd last Saturday night as well.