Haas happy with crash test and schedule

©WRI2

Haas' team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed that the US outfit's 2017 challenger has successfully passed its crash test.

While it would have been news if it hadn't passed the mandatory test which controls chassis' safety and rigidity, Steiner was still delighted with the timely milestone.

"We did our chassis crash test this week and we passed that one, so we are pretty on schedule," Steiner told ESPN.

"That's always a pretty good marker, a big goalpost, if you make that the rest should fall into place. Every year it is the same for everybody -- you're always last minute but you figure out how to get over that one."

Like most of its rivals, Haas started work on its 2017 car early last year but as pre-season testing looms ever larger, manufacturing  pressure builds.

"The season starts a bit later but that doesn't do anything for building a car because you release the car later as well.

"But we learned a lot last year about the process. You learn every day."

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter