Haas technical director Simone Resta has followed team principal Guenther Steiner out of the exit door, in what is turning into a brutal exodus at the American outfit.
It’s been a busy week for Haas, as the side prepare for the upcoming 2024 Formula 1 season.
There will be a fresh feel to the side who finished last in the Constructors’ Championship last year, given the number of high-profile departures this week.
Resta is the latest to depart with him being linked with a possible move to Sauber, ahead of the team’s merge with Audi in 2026 when the new power unit regulations are introduced.
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It’s also a possibility that Resta might return to Ferrari, with Formula1.com reporting that he is going to go back to the Italian manufacturer but not the F1 team.
Resta joined Haas on loan from Ferrari in 2021, with the termination of his loan being why he’s departing Gene Haas’ team.
There is certainly more known about Resta’s future than Steiner’s, who was reportedly banned from saying goodbye to the team following his abrupt exit.
The team’s owner had very little to say about Steiner when announcing his axing, whilst current drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg both thanked him.
“Thanks, Guenther,” Magnussen posted on Instagram. “Thanks for taking me on the journey in 2017 and thanks for bringing me on board again in 2022.
It has been both fun and tremendously challenging – but never boring. So long and all the best.”
Hulkenberg actually has a lot to thank Steiner for, given that if it wasn’t for the ex-Haas boss offering him Mick Schumacher’s seat for 2023, he’d likely still be a reserve driver.
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“Thanks, Guenther,” Hulkenberg wrote on Instagram. “For your trust, friendship and the opportunity to go racing in F1 again! You’re definitely a character… all the best!”
Prior to being given a lifeline by Haas for the 2023 season, Hulkenberg had sat on the reserves bench at Racing Point and then Aston Martin, from 2020 to 2022.
It’s certainly very rare for a driver of Hulkenberg’s age to be off the grid for three seasons, before being given a full-time seat back on the grid.