08/11/2016
NEWS STORY
Haas faces a hectic first day of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend as it tries the Halo device for first time, an alternative brake supplier and reserve driver Charles Leclerc.
"We are planning to run it with Romain in FP1," revealed Team Principal, Guenther Steiner of the Halo device which an increasing number of teams have been trialling at recent races. "We'll get his feedback and provide it to the FIA.
"There needs to be more testing done and we're happy to contribute," he added. "Even though the halo won't be introduced next year, it's a step toward finding a device that provides protection but also allows drivers to get in and out of the car quickly."
Referring to the alternative brake supply, which is understood to involve Carbone Industrie, the Italian said: "We will conduct a test in either FP1 or FP2 with a different brake manufacturer. It is a test to see how the other material reacts and how the drivers like it or don't like it. We will try to find out as much as possible in the short time we have available."
The American team will also be running Charles Leclerc in FP1, his fourth appearance of the year.
"Charles has done a good job for the team," said Steiner. "He always did his program and he performed what we asked of him.
"It's always difficult when a driver is only in for FP1," he admitted, "but he's very professional and has provided good feedback. We've been very happy with his contributions.
"He's in GP3 at the moment and can win the title in Abu Dhabi. He's got a season of GP2 coming up and we will see how far he can get. If he wins GP2 or is in the top-three in his first year of GP2, he will have a good future in front of him."
Asked how he will balance what will be a challenging first day, what with the halo, new brakes and a reserve driver, Steiner said: "We will try to do our absolute best. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do so we need to be focused and, hopefully, we don't have any issues - any mechanical or any electronic issues with the car so we can have a good FP1 to FP3 and be ready for qualifying. What we want to avoid is another bad weekend like in Mexico."