This is the Statt Mann  Baby.  Time to Scatt a little bit.

HaasF1

America’s Haas Formula One effort got a good look at where it stands going into its first season in three weeks in Australia.

Testing in Barcelona last week showed some weakness with one good session where the Ferrari powered team was second on the time charts.  A friend who watches such things, though, said he was impressed that the team even got to Barcelona and was turning lap after lap in testing.

Haas wasn’t close to the fast times turned in by the varsity guys at Ferrari.  But comparing it to the Toro Rosso team that also uses Ferrari engines, it was within a second or so of those cars.

The F1 tests at Barcelona mean little.  But personally I was impressed with Lewis Hamilton when he showed up with McLaren in 2007.  That year Hamilton challenged for the championship finishing second to Kimi Raikkonen by one point.  So, if you take it seriously then, you’ve got to pay attention now.

Haas won’t challenge anyone for the 2016 championship but if it scores a point this year there’ll be lots of celebrating and there should be.  In 2010, the last American F1 team didn’t even make it to the track.

If you want to cheer for something in F1, the Haas effort might prove valuable.

Peace.