26/10/2016
NEWS STORY
As its brake issues continue, Haas is considering switching suppliers.
Sunday's United States Grand Prix, in which Esteban Gutierrez retired just 16 laps in to the race with a brake issue, was the latest in a long line of brake-related failures for Haas. Indeed, the American team has now suffered 5 brake related DNFs this season.
Shortly after the race supplier Brembo issued a brief statement: "In relation to what happened to the driver Esteban Gutierrez of Haas F1 Team during the United States Formula One Grand Prix, Brembo regrets that the withdrawal of the driver at the end of lap 17 was caused by a possible issue connected to the braking system," it read.
"After a first analysis of our technicians present at Austin, it would seem that in correspondence with the front left wheel a problem in the dragging area of the disc has been identified. It will be Brembo's responsibility to carefully investigate, in collaboration with the team, the causes that led to the technical issue."
On Monday afternoon the Italian manufacturer re-issued the statement but with one important clarification: "For greater clarity and transparency towards Haas F1 Team, compared to the previous version, we have removed the word ‘possible’ in the phrase ‘a possible issue connected to the braking system’."
However, while Brembo's investigations continue, team boss Guenther Steiner has admitted that his team is now considering switching to Carbone Industrie discs, and intends testing them, possibly as early as the Brazilian Grand Prix.
"We will test different materials," he said, according to Motorsport.com. "We need to do something, as we cannot keep breaking them.
"Esteban was in a good position, it is the brakes," he continued. "Brembo is trying to do the utmost to help us find out, but we need to do for ourselves what we need to do."
Asked if he could explain the issue, which first arose in Bahrain and has hampered the team throughout the season, with both drivers affected, Steiner said: "I don't know, otherwise we wouldn't have it. Brembo is investigating and seeing if they find what is wrong with it. We don't know what is going on, we don't know."