Technical director admits Haas introduction has eroded Williams' status but is impressed by their race strategy
Tuesday 26 April 2016 11:42, UK
Pat Symonds believes that while Haas' successful start to life in Formula 1 is damaging for independent teams like WIlliams, their achievements have been "fantastic".
The American outfit have 18 points from their first three races but have benefited from a partnership with Ferrari, taking staff and 'non-listed' components from the Scuderia as well generating data through their windtunnel.
Wiilliams, in comparison, create almost everything on its cars from scratch, the design based on data it has generated from its own wind tunnel and personnel.
But the team's chief technical officer says that Haas have made perfect use of the F1 rules and admires their achievements on a much smaller budget.
"I think it's fantastic," Symonds told Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz. "People might know that I do feel that the way Haas have gone about things - which of course is totally legal, it's what the rules allow you to do - I think it does erode the status of being a constructor a little bit. But good luck to them, that's what the rules are. They've used them well.
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"They've really surprised me and I have a lot of admiration for them."
Haas are just 11 points behind Williams in the Constructors' Championship despite a disappointing showing in China last time out, and Symonds adds that their race strategy deserves credit.
He said: "What's really impressed me is that they haven't just produced a good car but they've raced it well and that's a very difficult thing for a new team to do.
"I think they did have personnel from Ferrari but they've also recruited a lot of new people into Formula 1 who haven't been there before and they're doing a good job.
"Operating an F1 car in a race is not an easy thing to do, it's very complex set of circumstances that you have to take in. You have to have immense situational awareness and you have to react to it.
"We get it wrong sometimes, but they've actually done it pretty well in their first few races."
Don't miss the F1 Report on Wednesday at 8:30pm on Sky Sports F1 for a preview of the Russian Grand Prix. Natalie Pinkham is joined in the studio by Marc Priestley and Dominic Harlow.
