Haas retention of Ferrucci is a potential train-wreck!

Autosport.com reports: Haas keeps banned Santino Ferrucci on its F1 junior programme

The article reports that the Haas Formula 1 team has retained the services of banned Formula 2 driver Santino Ferrucci as part of their driver development program.

Here’s a recap

– Ferrucci received a four-race ban after crashing into his team-mate Arjun Maini after the sprint race at Silverstone in the UK. It was reported that Ferrucci deliberately drove into the left rear of Maini’s car on the cool down lap after the race.

– He was also disqualified from the results of that race having earlier forced Maini off the road at Turn 4.

– The FIA handed him a €60,000 fine and banned him from the next two rounds at the Hungaroring and Spa.

– His Formula 2 team Trident Motorsport dropped him so he isn’t currently driving in F2 and reports that there have been payment issues!

– Ferrucci has been released by his management company, Julian Jakobi’s GP Sports Management.

– He also received a €60,000 fine for driving his F2 car between the F2 and F1 paddocks with a glove off while holding a mobile phone!

– Let’s not forget that Ferrucci was summoned to the stewards hearing but declined to attend!

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, Haas team principal Gunther Steiner said:

“I think we keep him for the time being on the programme. The guy is trying to make a career and in the end we don’t want to pull the rug under his feet.”

The whole situation sounds like a train-wreck yet Haas F1 have chosen to retain him. On the face of it Haas F1 appear to deal with situation with a lack of integrity. What we don’t know is what the legal implications are, what money is at stake and who has leverage on who.

We have plenty of examples of professional rugby league teams in the Australian NRL competition retaining players that have been up on drugs charges or domestic abuse. There is plenty of debate about the rights and wrongs of this.

Yes, give someone a chance but I can’t help thinking in Ferrucci’s case his actions were very deliberate and calculated. He deliberately did not attend the stewards hearing and there appears a lack of remorse for his actions. (There must have been plenty going on within the team that led to his crashing into Maini. Both drivers’ competed here in NZ in the 2015 Toyota Racing Series).

How would the successful Canterbury Crusaders rugby team have handled the situation?

Well the answer is with integrity. That is part of why they are successful.

They are a team that have had numerous problems with players and off-field indiscretions but their handling if these is first rate.

Best example that comes to mind is the All Black Zac Guilford and his problems with alcohol. He was already an established player with both the All Blacks and the Crusaders. He had some off-field problems with alcohol, admitted to it and had genuine remorse. The Crusaders franchise were seen to be working with the player but in the end Guilford was let go and he moved to play off-shore.

I doubt that the Crusaders would retain an up and coming player with problematic history when there is plenty of talent in the pool.

The Haas F1 team may be wanting to ‘work’ with Ferrucci but it hasn’t presented this well. It may be a train-wreck in the making!