F1: Don't read into Haas deal, Ferrari says

Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne says its association with the Haas Formula 1 team is nothing more than a technical partnership ahead of the American outfit's debut.

Haas will have all non-listed parts supplied by Ferrari, access to the team's windtunnel and its latest specification of engine. The nature of the partnership has led to suggestions that Haas will effectively be a Ferrari B-team but Marchionne did not endorse that view.

"Haas was the result of a particular arrangement where we acted as a technical solution provider to a new team to help get them started," he said. "I'm delighted we could provide that technical support to Haas.

"We need to see them as an aligned but not connected racing team which will do whatever it needs to do to race and life goes on. Don't read anymore into this."

Haas will run Romain Grosjean alongside Esteban Gutierrez next season with both drivers hinting the Ferrari link could help secure a seat with the Italian team in the future. But Marchionne insisted it would be premature to discuss the transfer of drivers between teams.

"As far as Grosjean is concerned, I like him as a person, I've seen him race, I don't know him at all," he said. "It would be incredibly premature and inappropriate to discuss appropriation of pilots from one team to another.

"We're happy with the choices we have made with Sebastian [Vettel] and Kimi [Raikkonen]. We will see what happens next year at the end of the season as to whether we continue with our current lineup.

"We need to discuss it. We haven't even started. We're happy for 2016."

Originally on Autosport.com