Gene Haas slates critics of his F1 team's Ferrari link as 'whiners'

Romain Grosjean's sixth place in the Australian Grand Prix, followed by fifth in Bahrain, have led to some critics bemoaning the team's now well-documented links with Ferrari.

On Thursday Grosjean suggested the detractors were "just jealous because they haven't achieved what we have done so far", with Haas also feeling there to be "sour grapes involved".

Asked by Autosport about Grosjean's comments, Haas replied: "This place is a soap opera!

"I think a lot of the teams at the back really don't understand what competition is. They're getting maybe a little too fat happy.

"We never came into this thing to run at the back. We want to compete, and that's what we're going to do. If people don't like that then that's their problem."

The political side of F1 is an aspect Haas is slowly becoming accustomed to given the predominantly autocratic approach he has known in NASCAR over the years.

Haas added: "I guess in a sense there are a lot of whiners in F1, that talk about our success... we are here racing.

"I don't know what they are complaining about. We are just racing on their turf. If they can't figure that out they have a problem.

"There have been a lot of obstacles to get to this point and now we're here, we're here. We're not going away, and they'd better get used to it, and if people don't like it that's their problem, not my problem."

At one point Haas produced a piece of paper that detailed the list of parts his team has make itself for its two F1 cars.

Dismissing the 'Ferrari B-team' references, an animated Haas said: "I've got this right here. This is [the list of] the listed parts.

"These are the parts that you have to make. Have you guys read this? That's it.

"The fact we're doing something that is different, what's wrong with that?

"If you're a driver and you can figure out how to go around a turn faster than the guy next to you, who do you give the credit to? The guy who is slower, or the guy who is faster?

"We've proven we're well within all the guidelines the FIA publishes, and quite frankly, I don't know what people are complaining about.

"We're here to race, if you want to beat us by complaining that's just not what it's about."