Haas trials new F1 simulator for first time during Abu Dhabi GP

Haas has spent 2019 working with Dallara on creating a bespoke facility at the racing car constructor's Italian headquarters that can be used on F1 weekends to help optimise car set-up.

F1's leading teams regularly use simulators on race weekends to evaluate car improvements and Haas is now ready to trial using its simulator for the first time.

Team boss Gunther Steiner said: "We will start to use it this weekend, but just as a trial to see if everything works.

"Then hopefully we've got everything in place for next year and we can use it over all the weekends."

Haas's simulator work will be conducted by development driver Pietro Fittipaldi.

Steiner added he was not expecting the simulator work to help car performance at the final race of the season.

"It will not be a help for the racetrack, it will be more [to see] if the system works," he explained.

"It is about [seeing] if we have got everything in place, if we can communicate efficiently, and if everything works how we wanted to work.

"It is basically a rehearsal of the process, not of the performance of the car.

"Maybe we get something out for the performance, but the aim is not that one. It's more to try the system out."

The increased role of the simulator in 2020 is one of the reasons why Haas is interested in signing an experienced driver like Robert Kubica to help with those duties.

Steiner added: "Obviously Robert has got a lot of experience.

"I think we have got alternatives because we worked really hard on it this year.

"The good thing with Robert would be that he has done that [simulator work] before. So he knows what he needs to do."