Ferrari Partnership
American ambition powered by the legendary Italian engine of Scuderia Ferrari.
The Ferrari Partnership represents the foundational technical backbone of Haas F1 Team since its inception in 2016. Rather than building a power unit from scratch, Gene Haas's strategy was to leverage the existing infrastructure of Scuderia Ferrari through a supply agreement. This arrangement allowed Haas to debut as an American team utilizing a Ferrari power unit, while maintaining its own chassis design identity. The team also established a design office in Maranello, which is home to Scuderia Ferrari's headquarters.
- Partnership Start
- 2016
- Supplier
- Scuderia Ferrari
- Key Components Supplied
- Power Unit
- Team Principal (Launch)
- Guenther Steiner
- Founding Strategy
- Technical Partnership Model
- Status
- Ongoing
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The relationship began with Haas approaching Italian manufacturer Dallara to build their chassis, with a power unit supplied by Ferrari. This technical partnership allowed the team to debut in 2016 with a competitive baseline. The design of the VF-18 resulted in controversy, with some competitors calling for an investigation due to its resemblance to the previous year's Ferrari, the SF70H. The team maintains a design office in Maranello, home to Scuderia Ferrari's headquarters, underscoring the close collaboration. Despite occasional scrutiny regarding intellectual property, the partnership remains a distinctive structural element in modern Formula 1, proving that a new entrant could compete through strategic alliances.
In Their Own Story
The morning mist clung to the Monza circuit as the Haas VF-16 sat on the grid, its red and white livery gleaming under the floodlights. Inside the cockpit, Romain Grosjean felt the familiar vibration of the Ferrari V6 turbo-hybrid engine humming beneath him—a sound that belonged to a century of Italian racing history yet powered an American dream. As the lights went out, the roar was not just one of combustion but of a bold gamble paying off, two teams bound by steel and code, racing toward glory.
Reader's Guide
The partnership launched in 2016 with the VF-16, marking Haas as the first American constructor to compete since the unrelated Haas Lola outfit in 1985 and 1986. By utilizing Ferrari's power unit, the team immediately achieved points-scoring consistency, finishing eighth in the constructors' championship in 2016. In 2017, the team continued its technical reliance on Maranello, with the VF-17 showing strong qualifying pace. The team finished eighth in the constructors' title for the second consecutive year. In 2018, the VF-18 design resulted in controversy due to its resemblance to the previous year's Ferrari, the SF70H. The team finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship, their best season to date. Throughout these eras, the collaboration has defined Haas's competitive ceiling, allowing them to challenge for top-five finishes while navigating complex FIA regulations regarding intellectual property and component sharing.
Did You Know?
- Haas established a design office in Maranello, which is also home to Scuderia Ferrari's headquarters.
- The VF-18 design resulted in controversy, with some competitors calling for an investigation due to its resemblance to the previous year's Ferrari, the SF70H.
- Haas approached Italian manufacturer Dallara to build their chassis, with a power unit supplied by Ferrari.
- The team's best season to date was 2018, finishing fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
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