Haas F1 Team set for preseason tests

Rich Energy Haas F1 Team will head to Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya with a full roster of drivers set to take the wheel of the brand-new Haas VF-19 in the opening week of preseason testing, Feb. 18 to Feb. 21, prior to the start of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Regular drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will be joined by test driver Pietro Fittipaldi in the first of two scheduled preseason test weeks at the 4.655-kilometer (2.892-mile), 16-turn track – home of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Grosjean will commence testing on Monday, Feb. 18, before Magnussen assumes responsibilities on Tuesday, Feb. 19. A half-day will follow for Grosjean on the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 20 with Fittipaldi steering for the first time that afternoon. The Brazilian pilot will continue running the morning of Thursday, Feb. 21 before Magnussen returns in the afternoon to conclude the opening week’s test.

The second week of preseason testing, Feb. 26 to March 1, will see Grosjean and Magnussen run full-day programs on alternate days, starting with Magnussen on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

With Rich Energy Haas F1 Team’s driver line-up unchanged for a third consecutive season, Mercedes being the only other team to field the same pairing as 2018, Grosjean and Magnussen will be seeking to emulate last season’s performances in the VF-18 which led to a fifth place finish in the constructors’ championship with a total of 93 points, the team’s best finish to date in Formula One following back-to-back eighth place standings in 2016 (29 points) and 2017 (47 points).

Looking forward, the 2019 season brings the challenge of adapting to new regulations, resulting in a revised look to the cars this year. A simplified front-wing is evident, now 200mm wider and 20mm higher – designed to allow drivers to follow each other more closely and increase the possibility of overtaking. Similarly, the rear wing has been made simpler, as well as 20mm higher and 100mm wider, to aid slipstreaming and promote closer racing. Smaller, repositioned barge boards are also visible, reduced in height by 150mm and moved forward by 100mm, these have been designed to improve air flow from the front wing making them less aerodynamically disruptive.

The 21-round 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship kicks off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, Sunday, March 17.

On Monday, Feb. 18, Rich Energy Haas F1 Team will perform a physical unveil of the Haas VF-19 at 8:00 a.m. CET on the pit lane outside of its garage stall at Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya. As in previous seasons, this will feature Grosjean and Magnussen pulling the cover off the VF-19. The drivers will pose for photographs with the car before heading back into the garage, where preparations will continue ahead of the 9 a.m. track opening and the start of 2019 preseason testing.