Haas System 1 crew founder Gene Haas drove a grand prix automotive in public for the primary time on the Goodwood Competition of Velocity on Friday.
The 72-year-old American entrepreneur took the wheel of the 2023-spec VF-23 for 2 runs up the well-known Goodwood Hill, marking a particular celebration of Haas F1 Staff’s tenth anniversary.
As a result of his age and expertise, the American drove the automotive at lowered accelerates the hill, however that got here with its personal set of challenges.
It marked solely his second time behind the wheel of an F1 automotive, following a shakedown on Silverstone’s Stowe circuit final month as preparation for the occasion.
Staff principal Ayao Komatsu was instrumental in convincing Haas to participate within the demonstration, and joined him at Goodwood to share within the second. Komatsu additionally sampled an F1 automotive himself, driving final yr’s VF-24.
“When Ayao first requested me about driving right here at Goodwood, it appeared like an terrible lot of labor only for an tour up a hill,” stated Haas. “I didn’t know concerning the Competition of Velocity beforehand, actually, nevertheless it was intriguing to me—and now I perceive why so many followers come right here.
“It’s the occasion to see so many alternative vehicles – previous and new, not solely System 1 vehicles – so it actually does supply followers an opportunity to see vehicles they’ve solely seen on TV or within the films.
“I’m liking the vehicles from the ‘40s and ‘50s as a result of it’s superb that these groups made vehicles that went 150 mph with the essential instruments that they had in comparison with now.
“My first impression of being in a System 1 automotive was that it’s very tight in there. There are quite a lot of nuances you need to be taught – the clutch, the shifting – there are 1,000,000 issues happening. However the hardest factor is making an attempt to drive a really quick automotive at a really sluggish velocity.”
Haas, who made his first foray into motorsport via NASCAR, launched his eponymous F1 crew in 2016 with a particular mannequin constructed round an in depth technical alliance with Ferrari.
Whereas a number of different new entrants over the previous 20 years have shortly come and gone, Haas has remained a constant presence on the grid, benefiting from its streamlined strategy.
“We’re nonetheless the brand new guys on the block,” he added. “So I’m actually impressed if you look right here on the legacy of all of the previous vehicles. You see the names, and among the folks aren’t even right here anymore.
“That’s very spectacular – and hopefully, our identify will begin to enter historical past too.”
Haas launched a Testing of Earlier Automobiles (TPC) programme this yr, enabling it to take part in occasions like Goodwood. It adopted the crew putting a technical partnership with Toyota.
Komatsu revealed that getting Haas into the cockpit of the VF-23 was his concept, calling it a becoming solution to mark the crew’s decade in F1.
“The truth that we hadn’t been to Goodwood earlier than made it much more particular,” stated Komatsu. “And for Gene – the founder and sole proprietor of the crew – what a second to drive his personal automotive.
“He owns every part. He’s not a company investor or a personal fairness man. He’s the proprietor, and he’s extremely passionate.
“Generally you don’t see him fairly often, so I assumed it could be good for him to get pleasure from what he’s created. After I requested him in Miami, ‘Gene, that is your celebration. Will you drive?’ he stated, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’
“I may see he was a bit nervous, however I stated to him: it’s time to get pleasure from what you’ve constructed, after every part you’ve given over the previous ten years.”
Toyota’s Kazuki Nakajima additionally took the VF-23 up the hill at Goodwood on Friday. Haas’ race drivers Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon can even participate within the FoS on Saturday and Sunday.
