Official: Gutierrez confirmed at Haas in 2016
Haas team has confirmed, unsurprisingly, the presence of Esteban Gutierrez in one of the future American single-seaters for the 2016 season. The Mexican will team up alongside Romain Grosjean.
It was an open secret, but we had to wait for the Mexican Grand Prix weekend to get confirmation: Esteban Gutierrez will indeed be part of the Haas team next year.
The Mexican driver has just been confirmed by the American team for the 2016 season. The team’s close ties with Ferrari were decisive in securing the second available seat, alongside Romain Grosjean.
The young driver, who spent two seasons with Sauber before moving back into the shadows as a test driver for Ferrari in 2015, will be back in the spotlight next year. He has thus achieved his goal in relation to what he told us in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock. Enough to be eager to start his new program: « This is an excellent opportunity that builds on my Ferrari period, and I’m going to make the most of it. Gene Haas believes in me, and I trust his way of competing in Formula One. Being able to drive in a competitive car with a Ferrari engine is very special. I am grateful for the trust placed in me. I have confidence that we can achieve great things together. »
The Haas team, with a duo of experienced drivers, intends to approach its presence in Formula 1 under good auspices. The arrival of Esteban Gutierrez is therefore in line with the approach desired by the management, as explained by Günther Steiner, the team principal: « We have always said that we were looking for experienced drivers, and that’s what we have with Romain and Esteban. Romain has more starts, but Esteban has extensive knowledge of Ferrari and their way of working. He has learned from the best with his position as the third driver, which means he knows how they have developed their current car. »
It is also conceivable that Esteban Gutierrez’s traditional sponsors, Telmex and Claro, will follow him into his new phase and be present on Haas cars next year. Indeed, Carlos Slim Domit stated: « Today, we can confirm that Esteban Gutierrez’s talent and experience will continue his career in Formula One as an official driver for Haas F1 Team, with whom we are very excited to begin a new adventure. »
Under these conditions, Jean-Eric Vergne, another reserve driver for Ferrari, had little chance of securing a full-time driving position.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
