Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner has highlighted how much work the squad had been into its sophomore entry into Formula One, explaining that virtually every aspect of this year's VF-17 had been changed and improved upon compared to last year's entry.
“I think the pedal box is the same, but all the rest is very different from last year’s car,” said Steiner as the team unveiled its new chassis on Sunday ahead of four days of pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this week.
“You always try to make a faster car, which is normally a lighter car. Now we can put on more ballast and get better weight distribution," he explained.
"The aero is completely new, as are the tires, so we needed to have some built-in adjustability.
"Aesthetically, the car has a more aggressive look. It’s lighter and more aerodynamically efficient. Everything we learned from our first car has been applied to our new car."
Many of the changes have been mandated by new downforce and aerodynamic rules that are being introduced into the sport this season resulting in a wider front wing, larger barge boards, a lower and wider rear wing and a diffuser that expands 50 millimetres in height and width along with wider Pirelli tyres.
While the colours from last year's car have been retained, the styling is different: the majority of the livery is dark grey, with tones of red, black, white and light gray incorporating the look of Haas Automation’s complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centres, turning centres and rotary tables and indexers.
The VF-17 will take part in the first official test session of the year beginning on Monday February 27 with a second four-day session the following week from March 7, before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix March 26 in Melbourne.
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