Gene Haas: “[F1] is filled with peril . . . If you don’t try you won’t fail.”

The thinking behind a new American Formula 1 team bid for the 2015 season was revealed in part at a recent NASCAR media tour interview when Gene Haas spoke to his interest in the sport as well as the opportunity to apply his experience in racing and business to Formula 1.

When asked why he wanted to form an American F1 team, Haas explained:

I think it’s an incredibly difficult challenge, its nothing to be taken lightly, its filled with peril, and there’s a million ways to fail, so for all those reasons, that’s why you do it, its to see if its something you can do.  I’ve learned a lot in NASCAR . . . so those things that we’ve learned I think would be something we could apply in Formula 1, the way we do business:  [Our] focus on racing and getting a car to the track and being able to compete in that forum.

I hold a tremendous amount of respect for NASCAR racing and the same thing for Formula 1, its a sport that has a legacy behind it , much like NASCAR or [IndyCar], I respect that and its a complex process trying to do that one step at a time, and I think it would be a great honor as an American to participate in that type of racing.  [F1] also has a good business aspect of it, too.  I think it has a lot of features that could fall in line with what we’ve accomplished here at Stewart-Haas Racing, so those reasons are the reasons to do it.

It certainly is an enormous challenge and something that cannot be taken lightly, but neither can NASCAR racing, but we’ve managed to succeed there, and its a challenge, that’s the fun part of life: If you don’t try you won’t fail.

The process of forming an F1 team for any new prospective candidate is just beginning, and Haas’ application is being reviewed at this time by the FIA based on the following:

• the technical ability and resources of the team 
• the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the 
• Championship at a competitive level 
• the team’s experience and human resources 
• the FIA’s assessment of the value that the candidate may bring to the Championship as a whole

A verdict is due from the FIA as to the suitability of applicants on February 28th.  Haas has told AUTOSPORT that they will be entering the FIA’s process for selecting new team entries as “Haas Racing Developments”, and Stewart-Haas racing partner Tony Stewart will be separate from the formation of the new F1 Team.

Stewart & Haas F1 questions at 11:00