Gene Haas: ‘This is going to be a well-run, efficient American organization’

Gene Haas is neither the first American, nor will he be the last, to think that with the right mixture of ingenuity and determination, success in Formula One is inevitable.

That bravado was on full display during his introductory press conference Monday, just days after being granted a Formula One license. To his credit, Haas didn’t mask his ultimate ambitions, saying he wants “to beat the Europeans at their own game.”

“You get the impression that sometimes people think the European way of racing is so much more advanced than the Americans,” Haas said. “But we’re the most advanced country on the planet so I don’t see why we can’t do this; it’s just basically racing.

“The parts are more expensive and the coffee is a lot more expensive, but I think we can bring a more rational way of doing this.”

Fully aware of the Herculean task before him, Haas remains undaunted.

Haas Formula will take to the grid in 2015 or 2016, a detail to be determined in June, with engines supplied by either Ferrari or Mercedes. Eventually the team would like to build its own chassis, but initially will use Dallara constructed cars.

Plans call for his upstart team to be based in Kannapolis, N.C., alongside the NASCAR Sprint Cup organization Haas co-owns with Tony Stewart. This would make Haas Formula the first team since 1976 to be based in the United States. And the potential logistical nightmares are obvious, as a majority of F1 races are staged in Europe.

When American Carl Haas (no relation) operated a F1 team from 1985-1986, he used England as a headquarters, as did Roger Penske during his brief (1974-1976) foray into the most popular form of motor sport. Haas said he will also have a satellite facility in either Italy or Germany.

Nevertheless, Haas is convinced he can succeed where others failed. The most notable of attempt occurred just four years ago when the much-hyped US F1, also to be based primarily in North Carolina, never made it to the grid due to lack of sponsorship.

A lack of sponsorship won’t be an issue this time, said Haas. He plans to fund the team out of his own pocket through his company Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world, which Haas hopes to expand thanks to F1’s pervasive popularity.

“Our job is not to reinvent the wheel,” Haas said. “Our job is to race cars and win races. Yes, it is expensive, but we’re going to have our own way of doing things. Too many teams, I think, just go out there and throw money at it.

“We’re not going to be foolish like that; we’re going to spend money wisely with an American flair for design and efficiencies. That’s how we’re going to control our costs. This is not going to be a European-style ‘just throw money at things and go (racing).’ This is going to be a well-run, efficient American organization.”

Many a rich man has uttered similar words only to fall down the rabbit hole that is F1 racing. The mantra in NASCAR is that for an owner to make a small fortune they must first start with a larger one and that is even truer in F1. The top teams in F1 (Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull) had operating budgets of $334,540,000 million last year, according to the BBC.

The man with an estimated net worth of $740 million understands Haas Formula will struggle initially. And he is unconcerned that his new venture will detract from a NASCAR team that has been a consistent success, having won the 2011 championship and 22 races since 2009, including three of eight races this season.

It all sounds promising. The reality, however, is that Haas’ vision isn’t all that different than those of many men who came before him uttering similar rhetoric and grandiose ideas, only to never turn their dreams into anything of substance.

Whether it all comes to fruition remains to be seen. The proof will come when a Haas Formula car is lined up on the grid beside teams from Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and the like. For now, all Haas has is a plan, albeit a very solid one.