Carl Haas may retire at end of year

[Muzza]

Fellows,

Due to health concerns (he has had some "scares and calls", particularly high blood pressure, in the last years) - and also feeling that "he has done his share for the sport" - it is possible that Carl Haas will retire from motorsport at the end of the year.

Haas has always stated that "once I decide to go, I would be out that same day" - but then, on the other hand, I heard from two insiders (one of them Toninho da Matta, Cristiano's father) that Haas had several conversations with Paul Newman last year regarding his (Haas') retiremeent.

One should also pay a closer look on how the Newman-Haas has restructured himself twice in recent years. It was not a mere change of names and titles: instead, the team created an organization that foster the development of people that can be at (its) very top in years to come. I also remember an interview with Paul Newman when he - on a somewhat veiled manner - expressed concepts and ideas very close to this sort of "training filiere".

Now, in parallel, on a rather conjectural mode...

Ten Tenths' member The Snout opened a thread about Paul Newman's statement that "Wednesday is the day". Linking both things, it is possible that...

1.) Paul Newman, a very savvy businessman with excellent contacts inside and outside of the sport, becames the catalyzer of a CART buy-out;

2.) Newman, a man universally recognized for his business ethics, would step down of Newman-Haas due to conflict of interest reasons;

3.) Haas, for the motives above exposed, annouces his retirement;

4.) Newman-Haas reshapes itself as a complete new organization, with the managers that now are waiting on the winds of Paul and Carl.

Very hypothetical, but - at least to me - it makes some sense.

Cheers,

Muzza

(P.S.: I might have posted this under the "Paul Newman saying Wednesday's the day", but as a matter of respect for Haas - a man I had to learn to like, and who I came to appreciate with the passing of time - I opted to create another thread on its own)