With the team short of money heading into the 2021 season, Haas needed to find a lucrative title sponsor and fast.
The American team partnered with Russian fertilizer giants Uralkali and signed the son of the company’s part owner Dmitry Mazepin, Nikita.
The car launch that year saw the Haas go from its original black design to a majority white livery, featuring the red white and blue of both the American and Russian flags.
At the time the team were criticised for designing a livery which so clearly was introduced to appease the new Russian title sponsor, despite Haas refusing to accept these claims.
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Haas dropped both Mazepin and Uralkali following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and have now signed a title sponsor deal with American money transfer company MoneyGram.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Haas have been the first team to show off their livery for this year and have returned to the black, white and red that features on their logo.
While the Haas launch comes much sooner than the other teams’, it is worth noting that the American team have only unveiled their livery, with the actual design of the car not expected to be seen until pre-season testing in Bahrain.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has expressed his approval for the new livery, suggesting that it’s modern look suits the new and exciting MoneyGram era.
“I obviously share everyone’s enthusiasm around the livery unveil,” he said after the launch.
“Not least as it’s a checkpoint in the pre-season calendar which means we’re another step closer to doing the thing we actually want to be doing – and that’s go racing.
“I like the livery, it’s undoubtedly a more elevated and modernised look which is fitting as we move into a new era alongside MoneyGram as our title partner.
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“It’s an exciting time of year for F1 and it’s great that we’re first out of the gate to showcase our livery but our attention is firmly on getting the VF-23 on track and preparing for the season ahead.”
The team have dropped the exciting young prospect of Mick Schumacher ahead of the 2023 season, with veteran Nico Hulkenberg joining the team in his place.
With Haas looking to become a podium challenger under the new regulations, they will be hoping that such an experienced driver lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen can lead them to glory.