F1 | Haas sensational: Resta leaves the technical direction

The news is destined to make noise: Simone Resta leaves the technical direction of Haas. While the VF-24 is being set up in view of the launch of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the 53-year-old engineer from Imola has apparently decided to end the relationship with the team directed by Gunther Steiner which began on 1 January 2021.

Remains, he had a Ferrari contract and had been “loaned” to the American team when the client team had set up its design headquarters within the Cavallino Sport Management, in the building that overlooks the Fiorano track and which includes the simulator and the area intended for indoor pit stop tests.

Simone, evidently, no longer found the motivation in Haas, given that the team ended the 2023 Constructors' World Championship in last place, despite demonstrating interesting performance peaks that showed a greater potential of the VF-23 than what had been seen actually. The car with the tubs above the bellies, derived from Ferrari concepts, had not been developed during the year, only to then show a major update package in the home race in Austin which did not give the results that the team leaders expected they were waiting.

According to rumors, Resta would have preferred to spend the development budget on the first version of the VF-23, often fast in the flying lap, but inconsistent in race pace, because it was the victim, like the reds, of anomalous tire wear. Gene Haas, on the other hand, had asked for the car to be aligned with the winning dictates of Red Bull and the result, given the investment, would not have paid off. It is easy to think, therefore, that Resta did not like the basic choices and, with a market for technicians open in view of 2026 when F1 will adopt the new smaller and lighter single-seaters, he would have decided to change scenery, despite not having a real alternative.

The Emilian had entered F1 in 1998 at Minardi in the research and development area and in 2001 he joined Ferrari where he grew in roles until becoming chief designer in 2014, promoted by president Sergio Marchionne. In 2018 he moved to Alfa Romeo, becoming the technical director of the Hinwil team, before being recalled in August 2019 to Maranello, where, in reality, he was placed in a position out of the way by Mattia Binotto. Then the adventure in Haas which could have given greater satisfaction.

It will be interesting to understand if the Imola native will open a new cycle at Ferrari or if he will respond to the sirens that could come from Audi, given that in the Swiss headquarters on the outskirts of Zurich, he had gained several admirers…