Gutierrez admits Haas targeting debut points

Jan.13 (GMM) Haas is targeting points finishes in its debut season, driver Esteban Gutierrez has confirmed.

While F1's newest teams like HRT, Caterham and Manor struggled more for mere survival than for points, the American outfit Haas is coming into F1 with a different model.

The team is working closely with Ferrari, even taking on the Maranello marque's Mexican reserve driver Gutierrez and being described by many as the red camp's 'B' team.

Bosses Gene Haas and Gunther Steiner are therefore targeting immediate points.

During a visit to Haas' North Carolina headquarters, Gutierrez confirmed: "That is our target, from the beginning. We want to be there," the 24-year-old told USA Today.

"Obviously, we want to be careful on our expectations. We're working hard to be prepared with the best car possible, but we will not know until the first test," he added.

"From the perspective of being a new team, (points) is an ambitious challenge. But we're here to compete. I think we have done things pretty well so far from team preparation and we want to target that."

Haas released a video this week showing that its team transporters have been coloured all white with red lettering ahead of next month's Barcelona test.

Gutierrez's teammate will be the highly-rated former Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.

"Initially we haven't talked much," said the Mexican, "but now I'll have more contact with him because we need to work together to integrate the team and achieve the best results.

"Personally my goal is very simple," he told the Mexican edition of GQ magazine. "To work with my teammate to always go forward, whilst at the same time trying to beat him."