Haas boss Guenther Steiner says the team's "main focus" is now on its 2017 car because of the potential gains to be made under the new regulations.
Significant changes are coming to F1 in 2017, with the new regulations bringing in faster and wider cars. Though Haas has impressed so far in its debut season the team feels it is beneficial to have a head start next year.
When asked how next year's car was coming along, Steiner said: "We are developing in the wind tunnel, as I think everybody else is. But our main focus now is on 2017, our main focus is gone from '16. You can [only] do so much for '16 and where we ended up in '16 was better than anybody expected anyway, so let's focus on next year."
Steiner says Mercedes' dominance of the V6 turbo era, something it achieved with a project which started several years before 2014, highlights the benefit of long-term thinking in F1.
"If you focus now on '16 that car has got another 12 races left. Next year's car has hopefully five years left and if you build a good platform to start off with its almost impossible to catch up with.
"Look at the Mercedes example, they come out with a rocket with the new regulations, nobody could catch up. Everyone gets close but to make the big leap is almost impossible because your windtunnel time is restricted so nobody can do more to get better. Obviously we are focusing on next year because it doesn't just mean next year, it's the next five years.
Ferrari plans another engine upgrade for the British Grand Prix, something which will be available to Haas immediately, and Steiner says there is a limited amount of upgrades to come to the car itself for the rest of 2016.
"No, not much else. We are still discussing a front wing update but we are not 100 percent sure if we want to do it or not, if the gain is big enough to do it or if it is a distraction. There are small parts in aero but they all signed off an in production, but no big aero ...
"Once you develop something in the windtunnel it still takes two, three months afterwards to put it in production. In the windtunnel is one thing but to make a part to put on a car is another thing."
Steiner suggested any new front wing upgrade will come after the summer break.