Haas part ways with F1 technical director Simone Resta after tough season

Heinrich Griessel10 January 2024

Simone Resta

Haas technical director Simone Resta has reportedly tendered his resignation following a lacklustre 2023 F1 campaign.

Resta is said to be considering a return to Ferrari or contemplating an offer from Sauber, where he reportedly has garnered admiration, as per Motorsport.

Sources suggest that the 53-year-old Italian's departure is linked to disagreements over the development strategy advocated by team owner Gene Haas.

Having joined Haas for the 2021 season in the context of a closer technical partnership between Haas and Ferrari, Resta played a pivotal role in designing the American team's cars for the subsequent two campaigns.

Unfortunately, Haas endured a challenging 2023 season, finishing at the bottom of the constructors' championship with a meager 12 points across 22 races.

Despite strong performances by drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg in qualifying, race days were marred by significant setbacks, mainly attributed to tyre degradation issues with the VF-23.

The introduction of a new aerodynamic package at the United States Grand Prix failed to reverse the team's fortunes, leading to a season-end split of packages between drivers in a bid to address persistent problems, a move labeled as "disappointing and upsetting" by Hulkenberg.

As Haas faces the imminent 2024 season, the team finds itself in need of a new technical director, adding another layer of complexity to their preparations.