KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (Feb. 14, 2018) - Haas F1 Team's 2018 challenger in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the VF-18, has been officially unveiled for the first time via social media and the race team's website.
The VF-18 is an evolution of the team's second car, the VF-17, which drove the Haas team to 8th place in the Formula 1 Constructors' Championship in 2017. 47 points were scored for the VF-17 during the Haas F1 team's "learning season", 18 points more than in its debut season in 2016.
The use of the abbreviation "VF" is inspired by the history of Haas Automation, the team's title sponsor. The first CNC machine manufactured by Haas Automation was the "VF-1" anno 1988. The "V" stands for vertical, which is a standard designation for a vertical mill. Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, added "F1" to unofficially refer to it as the "Very First One." The board's use of the F1 acronym for the first machine has taken on greater significance now that Haas Automation is using Formula One to transform the company into a global premium brand. "When people see what we can achieve in Formula 1, they also believe we can build world-class machine tools," said Haas, which in 2016 became the first American racing team to enter Formula 1 since 1986. "Being a Formula One team brings more credibility than any other traditional advertising." Haas built Haas Automation into the largest machine tool manufacturer in North America by focusing on detail amid constant refinement.
He applies the same characteristics and values to his F1 team and his car. "We eliminated a lot of variables that we knew we were weak in," Haas explains. "We focused on what it would take for our car to be reliable and for it to close the gap with the big teams." Among the refinements is the new halo system, which will protect the driver's head, and the reduction of the fin. "The biggest change we made to the car was adding the halo system," said Guenther Steiner, team manager of the Haas F1 team. "It did take some aerodynamic studies,but the designers had to work hard to make sure the halo system could withstand the stresses required. The minimum overall weight of the car was raised because of the halo system, and the center of gravity also shifted up a bit just because of the halo system. But all teams feel the same way about it. The rulebook remained pretty much the same between 2017 and 2018, so the VF-18 is an evolution of last year's car. It's less about reinvention and more about refinement. You can see elements on the vehicle that we already had on last year's vehicle. Our 2017 vehicle was very good, but we couldn't always get the best out of it, and this is what we tried to achieve with the changes for 2018. We made the car as light as possible to carry more load. We were able to do a better job of putting the weight where we wanted it.
We were able to transfer the Haas Automation colors to the VF-18. Gray makes up the main component of the color design, enriched with red and black hues that embody the Haas Automation look. "The design is a small step back to our first car, the VF-16," Steiner added, "its look is clean and precise just like the machine tools manufactured by Haas Automation."
Testing of the new VF-18 will take place at the Barcelona - Catalonia circuit from February 26 - March 1 and March 6 - 9, before the racing season kicks off on March 25, 2018 with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
In 2016, Haas F1 Team became the first American Formula One team to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, Haas F1 Team is based in the U.S. on the same campus in Kannapolis, North Carolina, as its successful NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool manufacturer in North America, and the chairman of the Haas F1 Team.
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