Haas’s 2026 launch is a test of whether its Ferrari-powered model - now subtly evolving as a new American rival arrives - is still enough to define its place in Formula 1
Haas will be the second team to present its livery
Haas’s 2026 Formula 1 car launch will probably arrive without grand declarations for the championship’s rules reset. That restraint has been familiar for a team that has, since its inception, been part of the midfield.
But beneath the likely understated presentation lies one of the most quietly consequential moments in the team’s history, as it will seek to validate the long-standing philosophy behind the entire project: its relationship with Ferrari.
The car it unveils will signal whether Haas still knows exactly what it is at its core.
No team has leaned more openly into technical dependency than Haas. From its inception, it has embraced a pragmatic model built around Ferrari engines and parts, outsourcing, and efficiency rather than sprawling its own infrastructure.
For years, that approach has been alternately praised as honest and cost-efficient, and criticised as inherently limiting and even unfair. Under the 2026 rules, that strategy risks becoming more exposed than ever.
The new power-unit regulations place unprecedented importance on integration.
Haas is entering the 11th year of its Ferrari partnership
Haas
Energy deployment, cooling, packaging and long-term development calls are no longer secondary concerns that can be optimised over time. They will be foundational, and for a customer team, that means the quality of the engine could matter as much as the depth of alignment with its supplier.
This is why Haas’s 2026 launch is, in effect, a referendum on its Ferrari partnership.
That does not mean Haas is unaware of the limits of its approach.
Its recent technical partnership with Toyota, focused on simulation tools, manufacturing support and operational expertise rather than core powertrain elements, is a quiet acknowledgement that survival in Formula 1’s next era may require reinforcement beyond Maranello.
Toyota is not an alternative to Ferrari, nor a step towards manufacturer status. But it is a signal that Haas understands the danger of standing still, particularly as the grid evolves around it.
In that sense, the 2026 car will also be the first tangible expression of whether Haas can add layers to its model without abandoning the pragmatism that brought it this far.
Ferrari will enter the new era as one of the championship’s most scrutinised manufacturers, balancing its own ambitions after a difficult year with the responsibility of supplying customer teams.
For Haas, the relationship has historically been mutually beneficial: Ferrari gains data and political support while Haas gains competitiveness it could not otherwise afford.
But that relationship has also conditioned Haas, which has been as competitive as all the Ferrari hardware has allowed it to be.
Haas will not be the only American team on the grid anymore
Haas
From 2026, however, the dynamic between the Maranello squad and the American team becomes more complex, as Ferrari will have another important customer to think about.
Cadillac enters the frame
Cadillac’s arrival adds a new dimension to Haas’s reality from this year.
Another American team, backed by a global automotive giant, entering Formula 1 with long-term intent, and powered by the same Ferrari engine. The comparison is unavoidable, even if the projects could hardly be more different.
Where Cadillac arrives as a bold statement of future ambition, Haas continues to exist as a study in survival and sustainability.
One is building towards something; the other has spent a decade proving that simply staying in Formula 1 on its own terms is an achievement.
As unlikely as that is, the danger for Haas is not just that Cadillac immediately outperforms it, but that it makes Haas look static.
As Haas did in 2016, Cadillac is starting from scratch, although with a lot more resources given the manufacturer backing and its ambitions.
Still, that pressure will be present in every detail of Haas’ launch and throughout the year.
The fight to be the America’s team
There is also an American dimension that Haas can no longer take for granted.
For years, it has been Formula 1’s lone American flag-bearer, carrying that identity through tough seasons and moments of genuine competitiveness alike.
Cadillac’s arrival does not erase that legacy, but it does challenge Haas’ uniqueness, as it will be the first time F1 has two American-owned teams competing simultaneously in a full season.
The covers are starting to come off the new generation of grand prix racers, with Red Bull and Racing Bulls revealing their new look: F1 2026 car and livery launch dates for the new season
By
Pablo Elizalde
Haas calls itself “America’s F1 team”, but from this year and with Cadillac on the grid, it will have to strive to be more than that.
The 2026 launch is its first opportunity to remind the paddock that it is not a placeholder waiting to be replaced by a shinier team.
None of this means Haas needs to promise the impossible, particularly given its independent status. Its goals will remain grounded: points finishes, midfield relevance, and consistency.
But 2026 raises the bar for credibility. If Haas is to remain Ferrari’s natural partner, rather than its secondary customer, it must show that its model still works when the rules change completely.
Haas needs to look prepared, integrated and comfortable with its choices. Because while others will use their 2026 car reveals to sell visions of the future, Haas will be doing something more fragile – and perhaps more difficult.
It will be proving that the foundations of its approach – carefully adapted rather than reinvented – still have a future. And in a championship that is about to welcome a new American team, that may matter more than ever.
