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Haas reject 'Ferrari replica' claims after strong start to F1 2018

"I know we are not doing anything wrong," insists Steiner; Alonso called Haas a "Ferrari replica", Force India said it was "magic"

Guenther Steiner has vehemently denied that the 2018 Haas car is a clone of last year's Ferrari, insisting all the aerodynamic parts are "developed by us".

Haas' strong start to the season coupled with their VF-18 bearing a striking a resemblance to the race-winning 2017 Ferrari has led to rivals questioning the technical partnership between the US team and the Scuderia.

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McLaren's Fernando Alonso labelled the Haas a "Ferrari replica" while Force India technical chief Otmar Szafnauer protested: "I don't know how they do it, it's magic. It's never been done before in Formula 1."

But while Haas qualified on the third row at the Australian GP and were set for a haul of 22 points before a double retirement, team principal Steiner is adamant his outfit are playing by the rules.

"I know that we are not doing anything wrong," he told Sky F1 in Melbourne.

"Nobody has come and confronted me saying, 'Hey Guenther, what is going on here, what are you doing'.

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"It's pretty simple for me. If somebody has got a problem, we should speak about it. You've got your opinion - if you want to do something, tell me."

Image: The 2017 Ferrari and 2018 Haas compared

Technical regulations state that all aerodynamic surfaces have to be designed internally but teams are allowed to share mechanical parts, such as the suspension and gearbox.

Haas driver Romain Grosjean felt the use of Ferrari's front suspension dictated the major aerodynamic design points.

But Szafnauer still believes Haas haven't been in the sport long enough - the Ferrari partnership started just before their F1 debut two years ago - to design such a competitive car.

"I just don't know how it can be right that someone who's been in the sport for a couple of years with no resource could produce a car... does it happen by magic?," he told Motorsport.com.

"If it does, I want the wand."

McLaren executive director Zak Brown also believes the Haas-Ferrari partnership is worth investigating to make sure it is not "too close". When asked what percentage of Haas' 2018 challenger is a Ferrari, Steiner added: "It's difficult to say.

"All the mechanical parts which you can buy by regulation, we buy from Ferrari obviously. Ferrari gives us good bits and pieces to make a solid car from the beginning - the suspension, gearbox, hydraulics, electronics, we don't do them ourselves.

"But all the aerodynamics are developed by us."

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