Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has earned the wrath of IndyCar again, this time for his comments on Formula 1 potentially moving toward same-spec cars.
At the start of the year, the Italian-born chief angered the American motorsport community by suggesting none of the current IndyCar or NASCAR drivers are ready for a seat in F1.
Now, as the sport’s bosses continue negotiations over the future direction of regulations, Steiner followed a lead from Ferrari but suggesting greater standardisation would go against the ethos of F1.
“If F1 goes [towards] spec cars I think it is the end of F1,” he told Motorsport.com. “It’s the pinnacle of motorsport. Technology is still important.
“As much as we don’t think people are interested, a lot of people are interested in technology, not only in racing and I think F1 is a good showcase for technology.
“We should not dumb F1 down like IndyCar, because then you have got GP1 and we know where that one is going.”
That last comment was met with a swift takedown by former IndyCar champion and now Formula E commentator Dario Franchitti.
“Yeah, who wants to watch a series with overtaking and drivers making a difference?” he tweeted. “There’s a big difference between some spec parts and ‘dumbing down’.”
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The Scot also hit back by pointing at Haas’ model of buying parts in from Ferrari and outsourcing, in fact using the same chassis provider as IndyCar, Dallara.
“Isn’t the Haas car built and developed by others?” Franchitti suggested. “Seems Steiner’s only qualification is making misinformed comments.”
