Haas reveals livery for VF-21 car ahead of new F1 season

The American team is the eighth outfit to complete its car unveil in the build-up to pre-season testing next week in Bahrain, releasing images via social media.

The new car design is a move away from what Haas has traditionally run in, adopting red and blue colours on the white base to reflect the colours of the Russian flag.

Uralkali is the world’s largest potash fertiliser producer and is headed up by Dmitry Mazepin, the father of 2021 Haas driver Nikita Mazepin.

“I’m very pleased to welcome Uralkali to Formula 1 as title partner to Haas F1 Team,” said team owner Gene Haas.

“We look forward to representing their brand throughout the season. It’s definitely a case of all change but I’m hoping that we get back to being in the mix for scoring some points at these races.

“It’s been a tough couple of seasons, but we’ve also got our eye on the bigger picture, in particular 2022 and the implementation of the new regulations.”

Haas VF-21

Photo by: Haas F1 Team

Haas enters the 2021 season off the back of a difficult campaign during which the team scored just three points as it finished ninth in the constructors’ championship.

It will begin the upcoming campaign with an all-new driver line-up following the departures of both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen at the end of last season.

Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher graduates to F1 with Haas, making his grand prix debut 30 years after his father, Michael, began his illustrious career.

Ferrari junior Schumacher will be joined at Haas by Mazepin, who finished fifth in last year’s F2 standings with two race victories.

Haas VF-21

Photo by: Haas F1 Team

Haas has opted against spending its two permitted development tokens on its car for 2021 following the majority carry-over in designs under the revised technical regulations.

The move was taken to ensure the team can focus all of its resources on development for 2022, when there is an overhaul of the technical rulebook.

“It will be quite a challenging season going forward, we know about that,” Steiner told Autosport in a recent interview.

"We've braced ourselves for it. We'll do as much as we can for this year for the mid-term, compromise the short term for the gains on the mid to long-term. That's our plan at the moment.”

Haas VF-21

Photo by: Haas F1 Team

The team has been boosted by strengthened ties with power unit supplier and technical partner Ferrari, which has established a ‘Haas hub’ at its Maranello base and redeployed staff with the American squad.

The unveiling by Haas leaves only Williams and Ferrari as yet to present their 2021 cars ahead of pre-season testing.

Williams will stage its launch using augmented reality on Friday afternoon, before Ferrari reveals its SF21 car next Wednesday.

Collective testing then runs from 12-14 March at the Bahrain International Circuit before the formal start of the 2021 season with the Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March.