Haas revealed Uralkali as their Title sponsor at the start of the 2021 season. It was a partnership that helped them earn a lot of money as Russian billionaire Dimitri Mazepin invested heavily. In turn, his son Nikita Mazepin ended up getting a seat at the American Formula 1 team.
However, after Russia declared war on Ukraine in March of 2022, Uralkali’s deal was canceled because of their country of origin. The Mazepins too lost their place in F1, and Haas was left without a Title sponsor. This led to people questioning their existence in F1, since they’re an independent team and rely heavily on funding.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner insisted back then that they would be fine and a new Title sponsor would soon come along. Earlier this week, MoneyGram turned out to be the new partner for the Kannapolis-based outfit. The numbers behind this three-year deal are huge which should make Steiner and team owner Gene Haas optimistic about their future.
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Haas entering the midfield in F1 helped them crack $20 million-a-season deal
2021 was a disastrous year for Haas. They finished rock bottom in the standings, with neither driver scoring points. However, this year they entered the paddock with much larger expectations. Their form may have dipped in the second half of the season, but they were fairly competitive in the midfield in the opening stages.
According to Racing News 365, the American team have managed to close out a $20 million dollar-a-season deal with MoneyGram. This is huge for a team who have struggled a lot financially over the last few years.
Another reason why MoneyGram ended up being Haas’ final choice was the fact that they are American. Having a company from the US sponsoring a local team would be a commercial boost for the entire outfit. This is important, especially considering the fact that F1 as a sport is rapidly growing in America.
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Guenther Steiner is aiming for first podium in 2023
Haas have been in F1 since 2013 but they are yet to finish on the podium. Their best result came in the form of a P4 finish achieved by Romain Grosjean at the 2018 Austrian GP. For Steiner, the next step forward will only be with a podium result. This is something he wants to achieve with the financial backing of MoneyGram.
Steiner also revealed that they can finally go to the limit of the budget cap. “I think we can make the step that in a few years we can fight for podiums,” he said.
