Ferrari has confirmed a sponsorship deal with Haas Automation, the American company whose entry into Formula One was accepted by the FIA earlier this year.
The company’s logo will appear on Ferrari’s cars from tomorrow as part of a sponsorship deal which will run until the end of next season. The Haas Formula team is due to enter F1 in 2016.
Ferrari team principal Marco Mattiacci said: “this agreement strengthens our existing links in the USA, an important market not only for our company, but also for Scuderia Ferrari, as it is one where the team already benefits from several important partnerships”.
“Over the past few months, we have been exploring a number of potential areas of collaboration and this agreement is the first step. It will enable Haas Automation to reinforce its already strong brand awareness around the world, thanks to the global reach of Formula One.”
Mattiacci indicated the two companies may collaborate when Haas makes its entry into F1 in two years’ time.
“In parallel, but as a separate project, Haas is committed to entering Formula One with its own team, a testimony to the growing appeal of our sport in the USA and on this front, technical discussions are ongoing between us,” he said.
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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd July 2014, 15:24
Very interesting. Despite them saying otherwise, I take this as all but official confirmation that Haas WILL run Ferrari supplied drive-train and maybe more.
Unless, that is, if before then he realizes that sponsoring Ferrari and seeing his name on a car that might win a race (yeah, I know, but its less of a stretch than a Haas team winning, right) is far more effective for promoting his company then actually setting up that team of his.
Then again, if Ferrari manage to somehow get the customer car idea through together with Red Bull (having it at STR and maybe Caterham too?) it could just be a Haas build Ferrari kit car that will be an immediate points contender
Breno (@austus)
3rd July 2014, 15:29
So now Ferrari will also have influence over Haas. If the partnership turns out well, Ferrari might get a midfield car with their engine again.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd July 2014, 16:03
Don’t they already have that @austus? ;)
petebaldwin (@)
3rd July 2014, 16:08
:) My thoughts exactly. They’d be in direct competition with one another!
Breno (@austus)
3rd July 2014, 16:19
I blame Mercedes being too good ç_ç
FormulaLes (@formulales)
4th July 2014, 2:10
At first I was like, “no, Toro Rosso use Renault power plants now”, and then released that the mid field team you’re referring to is Ferrari themselves, touché.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd July 2014, 15:30
The Haas logo will be highly visible on a Ferrari I’m sure…
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
3rd July 2014, 15:31
They will need to use reverse :P
Roald (@roald)
3rd July 2014, 15:34
Virgin sponsored Brawn GP before they entered F1 with their own team as well, didn’t they?
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd July 2014, 15:39
yes
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
3rd July 2014, 15:46
@roald As did Red Bull sponsor Sauber before they entered F1. It’s not uncommon.
BasCB (@bascb)
3rd July 2014, 16:07
And Mallya sponsored Toyota before getting into FI on his own too. Indeed its a well trodden path @craig-o.
GeeMac (@geemac)
3rd July 2014, 18:45
And Fernandes sponsored Williams…
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
4th July 2014, 2:43
I think if you look back through the years..you will find Kingfisher stickers on Benetton’s of the late 90’s (97 if I remember).
Younger Hamii (@younger-hamii)
3rd July 2014, 15:52
I just sense that the sponsorship deal is Mattiacci-influenced mainly; he oversaw Ferrari’s road car operations in the US (If I’m right?) before taking over from Stefano and likely would’ve lead negotiations, but no doubt this is a marketing tool for Haas and builds a genuine desire to have his products contribute to some success at the very top of Motorsport, that means having ties with a highly-regarded team.
chris (@9chris9)
4th July 2014, 9:47
Haas already has a highly regarded motorsport team
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Haas#Auto_racing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart-Haas_Racing
That has won races and a championship
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
3rd July 2014, 16:00
Not a bad deal. The name gets known outside the USA, and the partnership with Ferrari is established.
elchinero (@elchinero)
3rd July 2014, 17:09
What! No mention of Danica?
Uzair Syed (@ultimateuzair)
3rd July 2014, 18:39
I have to say, Gene Haas is doing a very good job to make sure he is in F1 in 2016. Future already looking more bright than Caterham…
Hairs (@hairs)
3rd July 2014, 19:10
Haas starts making his first f1 savvy moves: paying a bribe to an influential party to get his foot in the door.
BasCB (@bascb)
4th July 2014, 6:43
yep, this shows he might really be knowing what he is doing
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
3rd July 2014, 23:38
Seems an odd approach for a new team to preface their arrival in the series by pouring money into the coffers of their richest rival. Which presumably they’ll already be doing to some extent anyway by buying engines off Ferrari.
@HoHum (@hohum)
4th July 2014, 0:11
@keithcollantine, Gene Haas is getting more F1 connected publicity than most of the lesser teams at a fraction of the price and none of it is negative publicity which is about the only publicity the last 4 teams get. Pretty smart I reckon.
Shimks (@shimks)
4th July 2014, 6:02
Perhaps it’s also about spreading cost? If they pay for their name on Ferrari bodywork now, maybe the deal is that they get the engines at a reduced cost for 2016.
BasCB (@bascb)
4th July 2014, 6:45
YEah, I guess so @hohum. But that really begs the question of why even starting that team of his own, when this works far better!
@HoHum (@hohum)
4th July 2014, 14:02
@bascb, well eventually you either have to perform or get off the pot.
BasCB (@bascb)
4th July 2014, 14:06
but if you get the same results by just branding the pot, you’ve performed without having to lose anything into the pot
JackySteeg (@jackysteeg)
4th July 2014, 15:57
Don’t know if there’s much truth to it, but rumours are floating around on Twitter saying that Haas is set to become a Ferrari junior team.