Gene Haas has hit back at suggestions that his team's close relationship with Ferrari has offered an easy route to success on its arrival in Formula One.
The American team joined the grid this year and has immediately impressed with sixth- and fifth-place finishes at the opening two rounds of the season.
The team uses as many Ferrari parts as is allowed under the regulations and uses Dallara as its chassis and parts manufacturer. It also benefitted from extensive use of the Ferrari wind tunnel before entering the championship, which it was entitled to do even though the regulations have since changed to prevent another team doing the same after Mercedes questioned the approach.
Some teams have questioned whether Haas' approach is in the true spirit of Formula One, but Haas says the situation is being blown out of proportion.
"This place is a soap opera," he said. "I think a lot of the teams at the back really don't understand what competition is. They're getting maybe a little too fat and happy.
"We never came into this thing to run at the back. We want to compete, and that's what we're going to do. If people don't like that then that's their problem. I don't think the guys at the front are worried about us, it's just the guys at the back.
"There's an assumption that because we are using a lot of Ferrari parts that it makes easier. But I would challenge any team to take a complete Ferrari car with all the parts and just try to run it. They're very complex cars.
"Having the parts is only one part of the puzzle. You still have to understand how to put them together, to make them work and make a team. That in itself is a huge challenge, and you have to give Guenther a lot of credit for being able to put that altogether.
"Well we never read that memo that said you had to come in to Formula One and run in the back for five years, so we kind of ignore that. If anything, Formula One has provided numerous obstacles getting in here right from the beginning with Bernie saying 'I don't think these guys are going to make it', to putting up a $20million bond to be here. There's been a lot of obstacles to get to this point and now we're here, we're here. We're not going away, they better get used to it and if people don't like it that's their problem, not my problem."
Haas insists his team are true racers and have taken the opportunity to exploit opportunities open to all teams in the rule book.
"I guess in a sense there are a lot of whiners in F1, that talk about our success... we are here racing. If a driver can figure out how to get through a turn and beat somebody, we all think that he is a genius. We are kind of like a racer. We figured out what the challenges are, we put it together this way. We went out on track and said we can do this. I don't know what they are complaining about. We are just racing on their turf. If they can't figure that out they have a problem."