Haas team boss Günther Steiner said he spoke a few times in 2020 with the former Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul about a possible collaboration.
After McLaren made the decision to return to Mercedes in 2021, Renault ran out of a team to move the supply forward.
Former Renault team boss Abiteboul had mentioned that, under the right circumstances, his team would try to find a partner team as opposed to a customer.
Renault was then renamed Alpine during the winter break, with Abiteboul leaving his role.
And Steiner confirmed that he spoke to Abiteboul last year “A couple of times about their plans,” as reported by Formel1.de.
Haas has been a Ferrari customer since joining Formula 1 in 2016 and relies heavily on the Italian outfit for its engines and parts.
“We never got to a point where we would have negotiated. We just looked at who did what and that was it“Said Steiner.
“Then we said there was nothing in it and did it. I always have to look around to see what is possible and what is not. “
Despite a brief conversation with Renault, Steiner confirmed that Haas’ relationship with Ferrari should continue “in the short and medium term”.
“I can say with confidence that nothing will change in this relationship in the short and medium term in the next few years,” he said.
“We have our design offices in Italy. It would not have been worth it to change all of that. ”
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Steiner emphasized that loyalty is also very important, although Ferrari is working its way back from a poor performance in the engine department that started in the backend of 2019.
“I believe in loyalty and genes [Haas, team owner] also. We wouldn’t be here without Ferrari, ”said Steiner.
“Now they are in trouble, but I hope this is only short term. Ferrari has come back every time. Using the first opportunity to jump would not be very ethical.
“We have a relationship with Ferrari that is now in its sixth year. The relationship is good. In every way there are problems that you somehow solve. “
In the off-season, Groupe Renault renamed its Formula 1 team to Alpine, and there was also talk of a possible partnership with Williams.
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