Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto insists Haas remains an “independent” team despite confirming team personnel are to be shifted to the American squad.
The relationship between them has always been of the closest since Haas joined the grid in 2016, with the team buying in as many non-listed parts as is allowed under the regulations and having Dallara then design and build their car.
However, with all-new technical regulations coming into effect in 2022, Haas will need to completely make their own car for the first time.
And with Ferrari’s Head of Chassis Engineering Simone Resta already announced as “on loan” to Haas for that process, Binotto has confirmed more will join him.
“These persons will be in Maranello in a completely separate building to Scuderia Ferrari,” he claimed. “They will not have access to the Scuderia Ferrari building. It is separated and they will remain in there.”
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Of course, to some this will appear as though Ferrari is simply integrating Haas into their operation to potentially circumnavigate budget and other restrictions and caps coming into effect next year.
But Binotto insists the partnership between the two teams is unchanged and all actions are within the rules.
“As far as we are concerned, they are customers,” he stated. “Some of our people will join their team, and I think that’s a great opportunity for them.
“It’s a great opportunity because I think that by doing that, it can reinforce their organisation and their technical organisation.
“It is something that was necessary for us because we had to reduce the size of our organisation from today to fulfil what are the limitations of the budget cap.
“But still Haas is a fully independent team, compared to Ferrari. It is not a junior team and we are not exchanging information beyond what’s possible in the regulation.”
Binotto then concluded by admitting he was happy to see those Ferrari employees who would have been cut join Haas over potentially moving to their rivals.
“If I may choose and I have to reduce my organisation, I’m certainly more happy to know that those guys are joining the Haas team and reinforcing them, instead of being simply on the market and available to other teams,” said the Ferrari chief.
“That’s certainly the way we are looking at the collaborations.”