Haas insists lack of pre-Austria F1 test won’t hurt team

Haas boss Guenther Steiner insists his team will not be greatly disadvantaged by not conducting some on-track running before the delayed 2020 Formula 1 season begins in Austria next month.

A number of teams have taken advantage of the gradual easing of lockdown and coronavirus-related restrictions across Europe to carry out a shakedown test prior to the start of the new season, which will finally get underway with back-to-back races at the Red Bull Ring in early July following four months of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mercedes, Renault, Racing Point and Ferrari are among the teams to have organised private tests in varying formats over the past week to ramp up preparations for the Spielberg season-opener on July 5. Red Bull and AlphaTauri are expected to carry out filming days later this week at Silverstone and Imola respectively.

However, not all the teams will complete running before the first official F1 sessions in Austria.

McLaren has opted not to test due to complications over its switch from Honda to Renault power units, while Steiner confirmed Haas will not be completing any running either.

“We are not having a shakedown,” Steiner said.

“Obviously you would need to use a filming day, and also we don’t have the capacity.

“The drivers are ready to go. I don’t think they need a lot of training. It’s nice to do, but for us at the moment it’s not a priority to do a shakedown.”

Steiner conceded other teams will have gained a slight advantage from conducting a test but stressed he has no concerns over the American squad’s decision not to follow suit.

“I think it is an advantage, I wouldn’t deny that but it isn’t big,” he explained.

“Our guys are working in the factory in Banbury to put the car together. They have to do social distancing there while they work. So I’m not worried about that one.

“And for sure we practiced the new protocols in the garage instead of out on the track.

“It’s used a little bit as an excuse to do a shakedown, which I guess if you have the finances you do it to be sure, but we take a little bit more risk in these things because I know we have got good people.

“We we will deal with it the best we can and be in the best position we can be for Austria.

“Could we do a shakedown? Yes. Are you worried? No.”