The VF-21 was powered by the 2021 Ferrari power unit, designated the 065/6. Ferrari developed an in-season engine upgrade that was introduced to the works team at the Turkish Grand Prix; Haas declined to take the upgrade, reflecting the team's broader strategy of conserving resources for the regulatory overhaul coming in 2022.
A notable cost-saving measure defined the VF-21's construction: the chassis used during the 2021 season were modified versions of the VF-20, rather than entirely new vehicles. As raced at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the car was virtually identical to its predecessor except for the downforce reductions mandated by the 2021 regulations. This approach meant Haas was the only constructor that season not to make any significant changes to its 2020 car.
Haas introduced a single upgrade package for the chassis at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the only aerodynamic change to the car across the entire year. Because this upgrade was not substantial enough to consume development tokens — a cost-control mechanism introduced for the 2020-to-2021 transition — Haas avoided spending any of its allocated tokens. A new chassis was constructed for Mazepin and put into use at the Belgian Grand Prix later in the season.
When the VF-21's livery was revealed, it generated immediate controversy. The design prominently featured the colors of the Russian flag, a consequence of the team's Russian title sponsor Uralkali and its Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin. The pairing prompted widespread criticism amid longstanding concerns about Russian state involvement in sport.
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner addressed the controversy directly, stating that the athlete — not the team — was prohibited from displaying the Russian flag under sporting regulations, and that Haas remained an American-registered constructor. Despite the controversy, the livery remained in use throughout the 2021 season.
The VF-21 proved deeply uncompetitive throughout the year. Both Mazepin and Schumacher, each in their first Formula One campaigns, failed to score a single championship point across the full season, leaving Haas last in the Constructors' Championship. The team's explicit decision to divert development attention toward 2022 — when sweeping new technical regulations were set to reshape the field — meant the 2021 car was effectively a placeholder intended to generate mileage and data rather than results.
Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, drew particular attention as he adjusted to the demands of Formula One competition, while Mazepin's season was marked by on-track incidents and the broader controversy surrounding his and his family's connections to the sport.
The VF-21 represents one of the more unusual strategic decisions in recent Formula One history: a team deliberately fielding an updated version of a year-old car as a deliberate competitive sacrifice. Haas calculated that the extraordinary technical change arriving with the 2022 regulations justified concentrating resources there rather than chasing marginal gains within the existing framework. The gamble partially paid off in subsequent seasons as the team's performance rebounded under the new regulations.
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