Blow for Haas as technical director Simone Resta reportedly quits after F1 2023 struggles

The 53-year-old Italian is likely to either return to Ferrari or take up an offer from Sauber, where he has “several admirers”, according to Motorsport, who also report that Resta disagreed with the development approach pushed by team owner Gene Haas. 

Resta joined Haas for the 2021 season as part of a closer technical relationship between Haas and Ferrari and led the design of the American outfit’s cars for the following two campaigns. 

But Haas endured a miserable 2023 season, finishing rock bottom of the constructors’ championship after scoring just 12 points in 22 races.

Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg often starred in qualifying only to fall backwards on race day, largely due to tyre degradation woes which hampered the VF-23. 

Haas introduced a new aerodynamic package at their home race – the United States Grand Prix – but it failed to improve the team’s fortunes. 

The team headed by Guenther Steiner ended the season splitting their packages between their drivers as they attempted to resolve their problems, which Hulkenberg labelled as “disappointing and upsetting”. 

In need of a new technical director, Haas now have another headache on the eve of the 2024 season.