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Andretti also turned to Haas, but no “concrete” discussions about the takeover · RaceFans


Mick Schumacher, Haas, Zandvoort, 2021

Michael Andretti held talks with Haas because the IndyCar champion is apparently looking for a way to take over a Formula 1 team.

Haas team boss Günther Steiner said, however, that the possibility of selling Gene Haas’ operation to the former McLaren F1 driver was never seriously discussed.

“I’ve spoken to Michael a couple of times, not recently, to be honest,” Steiner said when asked whether Andretti had expressed interest in the team. “I don’t know what Michael is trying to do. Everyone knows each other in American racing, maybe there were talks, but maybe not as specific as you think. “

Andretti is believed to be considering acquiring Sauber, who heads the Alfa Romeo F1 team. Steiner doesn’t see the possibility of a second American-owned team as a threat to his operation, which has been the only U.S. team in Formula 1 since arriving in 2016.

“I don’t see anyone as a threat [as an] American team, ”said Steiner. “We have no problem with that, no matter where the team is from.”

This year Haas won the title sponsorship from the Russian fertilizer manufacturer Uralkali. Steiner believes they could have done better by getting support from companies in the United States.

“I think what we didn’t do, we didn’t use the American market, the sponsorship market, as well as we should, because otherwise we would have more Americans on the car,” he said.

“Nobody came who knocked on our door with big sponsorship and said: ‘Because we’re Americans, we’ll do that’ or ‘that’s why we’re going to support an American driver,’” Steiner added.

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