Haas shifts focus to 2017 F1 car

Although the American outfit is working to rediscover the form that helped it deliver a string of good results at the start of the campaign, it thinks that its future will be better set by making a head start on next year's car.

Speaking about the 2017 project ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, team principal Gunther Steiner said: "We are developing in the wind tunnel as I think everyone else does, but our main focus now is on 2017. Our main focus is gone from 2016.

"You can [only] do so much for 2016, and where we ended up for this year was better than everybody expected anyway, so let's focus on next year – on 2017.

"If we focus now on 2016 that car has gone another 12 races left. Next year's car has hopefully five years left so if you build a good platform to start off with that is better."

Regulation limits

Steiner says that the way that Mercedes has maintained its dominance through the current turbo hybrid era shows there are big advantages that can come from hitting the ground running during a new rules phase.

"It is almost impossible to catch up," he explained. "Look at the Mercedes example. They came up with a rocket with the new regulations – and nobody could catch up.

"Everybody got closer but to make the big leap is almost impossible because your wind tunnel time is restricted – so nobody can do more to get better. We are focusing on next year because it means not only next year but the next five years."

New front wing possible

With Haas set to get the benefit from Ferrari's upgraded turbo from the British Grand Prix, Steiner has said the only aero development that is now possible for 2016 is a new front wing which could appear after the summer break.

"We are still discussing a front wing update, but we are not 100 percent sure if we want to do it or not," he said. "We need to see if the gain is big enough to do it, or if it is a distraction.

"There are small parts in aero but they are all signed off and in production, but there is no big aero development.

"Once you develop something in the wind tunnel it takes them still two or three months afterwards to put it into production. In the wind tunnel is one thing but to make a part to put it onto the car is another one."