Cargo delays may force Haas to miss first day of Bahrain F1 test
As first reported by German publication Auto Motor und Sport, Haas’ two cars and spare parts are still in the UK after the plane that was due to transport the equipment to Bahrain became stranded at Istanbul Airport with technical issues.
The delays have been verified by a Haas spokesperson when approached by Crash.net on Monday afternoon.
With most teams expecting their equipment to arrive in Bahrain on Monday, Haas now faces a race against time to receive its freight in time for the start of the second three-day pre-season test, which begins on Thursday.
According to AMuS, Haas’ cargo is not expected to arrive at the circuit until Tuesday evening at the earliest.
Team principal Guenther Steiner fears the delays could force Haas to miss the first day of running in Bahrain.
"We might be able to write off the first day of testing,” Steiner is quoted as saying by AMuS. “All other teams have a two-day lead in preparation.”
If that were to happen, it is believed Haas could be given special permission to run its car on Sunday - the day after the test ends - on the grounds of force majeure.
The cargo delay marks the latest setback to Haas’ preparations for the 2022 season following a disrupted first test in Barcelona that was hamstrung by reliability gremlins and an off-track saga.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Haas was forced to terminate its contract with title sponsor Uralkali and Russian driver Nikita Mazepin.
Reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi is set to run in a rebranded Haas car in Bahrain while the team considers its options to fill the vacated seat alongside Mick Schumacher on a full-time basis.
