Haas’ Ferrari alliance ’very clever’ - Wolff

Toto Wolff has hailed as "clever" the approach to formula one being taken by the 2016 American entrant, Haas.

Gene Haas, already a co-owner of a Nascar team, is entering F1 next year to promote his California based machine tool company Haas Automation.

His technical alliance with Ferrari, however, has raised eyebrows up and down pitlane, to the point that the FIA recently sent an inspector to Maranello to ensure the wind tunnel programme is above board.

"If the FIA does an inspection and finds nothing, then for me there is no doubt that everything conforms to the current regulations," Mercedes boss Wolff is quoted by Speed Week.

"I find that the cooperation between Ferrari and Haas can pave new ways of working, which is very interesting.

"I think the way Gene Haas is coming into formula one is very clever," he added, "and it opens up a whole range of possibilities."