This yr’s new Haas contender has damaged cowl, with the VF-24 taking to the monitor at Silverstone for the primary time in a brief 9 second video clip launched by the group on social media.
Nico Hulkenberg was on the wheel for the automotive’s temporary shakedown. The video was accompanied by a caption declaring “Oh how we’ve missed that sound”.
The group unveiled its new livery in a launch occasion earlier this month, however used a present automotive primarily based on final yr’s chassis for the presentation fairly than unveiling this yr’s mannequin.
The automotive is proven leaving and returning to the storage, but it surely’s not attainable to get an in depth take a look at what modifications the group has launched for 2024 after ending backside of final yr’s constructors championship.
A second shakedown is scheduled to happen in Bahrain earlier than official pre-season testing, adopted every week later by the primary race of the yr on the similar venue on March 2.
Though there are strict guidelines about how a lot monitor time groups are allowed for present automobiles, they’re permitted to finish 400km of operating – up from 200km – throughout two permitted days of ‘promotional occasions’.
Sauber turned the primary group to run its 2024 F1 automotive on monitor, with a quick outing for the C44 at Barcelona on Saturday.
Oh how we’ve missed that sound
The #VF24 has accomplished its first lap at our Silverstone Shakedown. #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/si0zxLDjxg
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Group (@HaasF1Team) February 11, 2024
This would be the first season for Haas with out Guenther Steiner on the helm as group principal. He has been changed by Ayao Komatsu, the group’s former director of engineering.
“It has impacted issues,” Komatsu admitted. “It was introduced on January 10, and we’re operating our automotive for the primary time on February 11. That’s a reasonably brief timeframe.
“It wasn’t simply my position, we had a technical director depart as properly, so there have been two important vacancies to fill,” he added, referring ot the promotion of chief designer Andrea de Zordo to interchange Simone Resta.
“The timing of this transition interval was not preferrred; nevertheless, I’ve been very impressed with the maturity of everybody’s response,” he mentioned. “By way of automotive construct and preparation for the check, it wasn’t an issue operationally.
© Haas
“We formalised and communicated this structural change as quickly as we may,” he insisted. “Because of this we had been capable of hold the disruption to the minimal.”
Komatsu has warned followers to not count on dramatic in a single day enchancment on final yr’s efficiency and instructed that the automotive will nonetheless be among the many again markers when the brand new season will get underway.
“We’re lifelike about our expectations for the VF-24 to begin,” he conceded.”I nonetheless assume we’re going to be in the direction of the again of the grid [in Bahrain]. if not final.”
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