Tag: Haas F1

Haas needs the summer break to ‘reset and regroup’ – Hulkenberg

Haas needs the summer break to reset after a tough first part of the season but will only be able to improve with upgrades to its car, according to Nico Hulkenberg. Haas scored 11 points across three of the first five races in an encouraging start …

Haas needs the summer break to reset after a tough first part of the season but will only be able to improve with upgrades to its car, according to Nico Hulkenberg.

Haas scored 11 points across three of the first five races in an encouraging start to 2023, but despite multiple Q3 appearances since then the team has failed to add to its tally as it struggles with tire degradation and race pace. After a Belgian Grand Prix where Hulkenberg started from the pit lane and finished 18th, he says Haas is in need of the time off in August as well as car improvements.

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“A pretty grim weekend for us,” Hulkenberg said. “Write it off, reset and regroup and come back after the summer break hopefully a bit stronger.

“Yeah we need (the break) but what we really need is some upgrades. Some real performance to help ourselves, that’s what we need. (Spa-Francorchamps) again exposes the weaknesses of our car very much. That’s why we’ve not been competitive in any session on any lap really. A lot of work to do.

“I think we understand the cause and what happens and why it happens but fixing it and bringing loads of performance doesn’t just lay on the street. It’s a bit more complex.”

Hulkenberg insists 2023 is not a write-off for Haas despite the struggles, but believes the weaknesses the team is facing are best fixed with a new car that can change the overall characteristics.

“We can still improve the situation this year. To what extent? That’s TBC, down to us and we have to prove it. It’s a longer-term thing for sure.”

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says Spa was a race that displayed all the hallmarks of this year’s ongoing issues but highlights the team’s overall execution as being a positive.

“We couldn’t fight with the others and if we go into overtime with our tires, we just get slower, and that’s what happened again,” Steiner said. “We know our deficit, we’re working on it and hopefully we can resolve it fast but all in all, the team did a good job. For Nico to change his car around, it was all executed very well. Now we go on summer break, and hopefully come back stronger.”

Haas could use Austria ‘like a test session’ to solve race day woes – Steiner

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says he is open to compromising the final results in the Austrian Grand Prix weekend in order to try and solve this season’s race pace issues. Standout performances in qualifying for both Nico Hulkenberg and …

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says he is open to compromising the final results in the Austrian Grand Prix weekend in order to try and solve this season’s race pace issues.

Standout performances in qualifying for both Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen have tended to be quickly wiped out by tough races for Haas, with the most recent example seeing Hulkenberg go from fifth to 15th in Canada. Steiner says there are a some potential solutions that Haas has identified and with the Sprint weekend in Austria the team will get two opportunities to trial them.

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“We’re going into this race partly a little bit like a test session as well,” Steiner said. “We have a lot of things to try and cure our problems with the race pace, so we have a few ideas. As we have two races now this weekend, we’ve got double the amount of time to try to do different things. Obviously, we always try to get the best result possible but also maybe we compromise the best result possible for really understanding what is happening with our car on race day.

“I must admit, I’m actually very happy with both Kevin and Nico about how they’re an integral part in trying to sort the problem and find the solution, how we tackle the short and long-term fix for this, and they’re both very positive. Not about the performance in the race right now but positive that we can get out of the problem we have now.”

And Steiner says the work that has been ongoing not only relates to trying to improve results this season but also removing any inherent issues in the car design for 2024.

“We’re investigating the very good performance we have in qualifying and not-so-good performance during the race at the moment. We’re trying to pinpoint it but for the next races we’re maybe going to try and find a sweeter spot between the two sessions, qualifying and the race, so something in the middle. We’re working hard on it and trying to find out what we can do over the next races to make it better.

“We’re working very hard to try and find out why the discrepancy of being very fast and not so good in the race is happening. We’ve got a few leads and for sure it will impact the VF-24 design. We obviously have to take that feature out of the car next year.”

Hulkenberg loses P2 in Canada amid raft of grid penalties

Nico Hulkenberg has been demoted from second on the grid to fifth at the Canadian Grand Prix for a red flag infringement in qualifying, avoiding a much harsher penalty. Oscar Piastri’s crash in Q3 brought out the red flag just as Hulkenberg had …

Nico Hulkenberg has been demoted from second on the grid to fifth at the Canadian Grand Prix for a red flag infringement in qualifying, avoiding a much harsher penalty.

Oscar Piastri’s crash in Q3 brought out the red flag just as Hulkenberg had completed a lap to go second fastest at the time, and the weather conditions then deteriorated to prevent any other drivers from improving. However, Hulkenberg was then found to have been traveling too quickly under the red flag conditions as he returned to the pits and was handed a three-place grid penalty by the stewards, when normal protocol would have been for 10 spots.

“The driver had just finished his fastest lap and had started another push lap,” the decision explained. “He was at Turn 1 when the red flag was displayed, however at that point he was already 1.5s over his delta time. He claimed this made it extremely difficult for him to come below the delta in the next sector.

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“He also admitted to confusion about the beep signal in his headset, and therefore at one stage thought he was going too slow. Comparison of telemetry with that of Car 31 showed that in general for the rest of the lap he was approximately the same speed as Car 31 which complied with the delta times in each mini-sector. We regard this as a mitigating circumstance.

“However, the regulation is very clear and whilst there is no question of the driver acting dangerously or driving unsafely, there was a breach and thus a penalty has to be imposed. The normal penalty for failure to slow under red flags is 10 grid positions however in view of the mitigating circumstance, a lower penalty is appropriate. We note the intention of the regulation is to ensure a car is not speeding during a red flag situation and there is no evidence that the speed was excessive in this case.”

Hulkenberg is not the only driver receiving a penalty after qualifying, with three others losing positions. Carlos Sainz was first to get a three-place drop for impeding Pierre Gasly in Q1, before Yuki Tsunoda was given the same penalty for getting in Hulkenberg’s way at the hairpin in the same segment of qualifying.

That penalty drops Tsunoda from 16th on the grid to 19th — promoting Gasly, Nyck de Vries and Logan Sargeant — although the AlphaTauri driver did escape punishment for an incident with Charles Leclerc.

Lance Stroll was due to start 13th but was then found guilty of impeding Esteban Ocon in Q2. Stroll admitted he had known of Ocon’s positioning but felt he couldn’t safely move off the racing line because his slick tires were cold and the rest of the track was wet. The stewards also handed out a three-place grid penalty that means Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas and Gasly again gain spots.

Hulkenberg P2 under threat from possible red flag infringement

Nico Hulkenberg’s stunning second place on the grid at the Canadian Grand Prix is under threat due to a red flag infringement. The Haas driver completed a lap in wet conditions in Q3 just before a red flag came out for Oscar Piastri’s crash, with …

Nico Hulkenberg’s stunning second place on the grid at the Canadian Grand Prix is under threat due to a red flag infringement.

The Haas driver completed a lap in wet conditions in Q3 just before a red flag came out for Oscar Piastri’s crash, with the time good enough to secure him a spot on the front row in Montreal. However, the stewards have now summoned Hulkenberg for a potential breach of red flag regulations immediately after that moment that could result in a grid penalty.

The summons relates to an “Alleged breach of Article 37.6 a) of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations — Car 27 failing to stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU at 16:59.”

Drivers are given sector times they can be no quicker than under red flag conditions, but Hulkenberg’s team radio suggests he was unsure whether he should be maintaining a minimum speed or slowing down, with his race engineer informing him he needed to slow.

Hulkenberg has to report to the stewards at 1840 local time to argue his case.

Hulkenberg sees potential for Haas to lead midfield in future

Nico Hulkenberg believes Haas has the potential to be the leading midfield team in future despite the competitive nature of the current grid. Haas finished fifth in 2018 when Hulkenberg was at Renault; the French constructor ultimately coming out on …

Nico Hulkenberg believes Haas has the potential to be the leading midfield team in future despite the competitive nature of the current grid.

Haas finished fifth in 2018 when Hulkenberg was at Renault; the French constructor ultimately coming out on top in the battle for fourth place by 29 points. That’s a season that sticks in the German’s mind when he thinks about how high his current team can aim in future, and while he admits it is unlikely to be able to target regular podiums or wins while so closely linked to Ferrari, he says rising to the top of the midfield is realistic.

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“Never say never, anything’s possible in Formula 1 and things change quickly,” Hulkenberg told RACER. “But obviously, we are not a manufacturer. We don’t build everything. We are a customer of Ferrari, and obviously that has its perks but also you’re dependent on them and in many things.

“So I think they can do well, as we saw in 2018. Obviously, I was battling against Haas in the constructors’ championship for fourth. And I think something like that is definitely going to be possible again in the future.”

Haas currently sits seventh in the constructors’ championship in a season where all 10 teams had scored a point by round three, and is nine points behind McLaren in sixth. While fighting with Alpine – 32 points ahead in fifth – is a target, Hulkenberg doesn’t believe it would be productive for Haas to aim so high too quickly as it adds unfair expectations onto the team.

“I dream, but I’m also a realistic guy,” he said. “I think sometimes you should set high goals, but not over-ambitious goals because then you just put unnecessary pressure on yourself and the people you work with.

“Obviously we want to do as well as we can every weekend, and for me it’s about maximizing the potential we have. And that’s really difficult as it is, because the midfield consists of six teams at the moment, small differences have a huge impact on a weekend. So for me that’s the aim, to maximize what we have and push the team forwards so in the future we can hopefully go for some some bigger aims and results.”

Hulkenberg tells Haas to stay cool after practice P3 in Spain

Nico Hulkenberg says it isn’t realistic to target a repeat of his top three result from Friday when qualifying begins at the Spanish Grand Prix. Haas expected the high-speed Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to suit its car and Hulkenberg duly …

Nico Hulkenberg says it isn’t realistic to target a repeat of his top three result from Friday when qualifying begins at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Haas expected the high-speed Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to suit its car and Hulkenberg duly delivered an eye-catching soft-tire run in FP2 that left him third behind Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, just 0.27s from the fastest time. While encouraged by the feeling he had from his car, Hulkenberg said he expects others to move ahead on Saturday.

“I think today it looked genuine but I guess other people underperformed or underdelivered,” Hulkenberg said. “Especially there was a lot of top cars that I think will find something overnight and pick it up.

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“I think we’ve got to stay cool and realistic. For me, it’s important to have a good feeling in the car, a good rhythm, and I managed to find that today, which is the most important thing for me.

“Obviously hoping to have a similarly good day tomorrow, just squeeze out what we have. But tomorrow is going to be tight again. In the midfield there are still four or five teams, and we are battling for the same piece of tarmac. So it’s going to be a tough, tight fight again.”

Hulkenberg says the P3 lap time was made even more rewarding by the progress Haas made from the opening session, when he was ranked 18th.

“It felt decent, especially that lap on new softs that give you a lot of grip over one lap,” he said. “FP2, we’ve picked up some performance – in FP1 it wasn’t quite there yet. So, obviously satisfied with how it went in FP2, and hope we can keep it up for the next few days.

“There’s always more to explore, there’s always more to do. It felt OK. Obviously every track feels different with different tires, different tarmac, different track characteristics, but I had a good rhythm today. I felt at home in the car, and I felt like I was in the driving seat which is good and important around here. So a positive Friday.”

Given how competitive the field is, with 0.8s covering the top 15 cars, Hulkenberg said driver confidence can play a significant part in where they end up in the standings.

“It’s very important, and that’s when you as a driver can commit more, you can take slightly more risk,” he said. “You have more confidence to send it in qualifying when you look for the last hundredths. That’s when that helps.

“But I think naturally also here the car was just in a much happier place and immediately gives me a much better feeling compared to a week ago in Monaco.”

Steiner unsure Haas will need works PU deal in 2026

Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe Haas will necessarily need a works power unit deal in future to be competitive in Formula 1. Aston Martin’s recent announcement that it will be the Honda works team from 2026 onwards makes it six teams that will have …

Guenther Steiner doesn’t believe Haas will necessarily need a works power unit deal in future to be competitive in Formula 1.

Aston Martin’s recent announcement that it will be the Honda works team from 2026 onwards makes it six teams that will have such partnerships when the new power unit regulations come into effect. While Haas will then be one of just four teams to be a customer, Steiner says it doesn’t guarantee it will need to find itself a similar agreement to be able to compete with the majority of its rivals.

“I wouldn’t say we need to,” Steiner said. “You need to look into where do you want to be in five to 10 years. I think at the moment we are all overthinking what is coming in ’26, I think there will be solutions to it because not everybody can have a works team — for ’26 for sure there are only six engine manufacturers so four teams will need to take a customer engine. We will be one of them for ’26, but looking forward you also need to see where Formula 1 is going.

“I don’t want to sound negative but manufacturers come and go, teams stay. So we need to think of that as well. I don’t want to say, ‘We need to be a manufacturer in five years.’ It could also be that maybe we are happy not to be a manufacturer in five years, that is out there as well. So let’s see what time brings but for the moment we are ready for ’26 — we will go with a customer engine and we will make the best out of it.”

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Ahead of Haas’ 150th grand prix this weekend in Monaco, Steiner says Aston Martin’s form so far this season shows a team can have a customer relationship and still beat the works team.

“I just give you one example: Aston Martin, what engine are they running? Mercedes. Where is Aston Martin? In front of Mercedes at the moment. So why are you all thinking that will change in future? We always have to live in the reality as well. There’s a good chance a customer team can do better than a works team like is happening right now and we have the proof of it — it’s not something I’ve dreamt up.

Aston Martin might be ending its PU customer status for the next rules cycle, but its current form shows you can still thrive in F1 without a works deal, Steiner says. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

“And also in 2026 there are six engine manufacturers — how do you know that all will do the same good job? There could be two or three that do a worse job and if you are with the right manufacturer you are in front of the other ones. So there are pros as well to being a customer. If you go out there and make your own engine and the engine is not good, what have you achieved then?

“So I think only the future will tell. We can dream up a lot of scenarios that could or should happen, but the fact is that at the moment a customer team is beating a works team — and not a bad works team, by the way!”

UPDATE: Haas Australian GP protest rejected

Haas has failed with its protest into the race result at the Australian Grand Prix after controversy surrounding a late race restart. Kevin Magnussen’s crash triggered a red flag that left two laps possible after a standing start. The first corner …

Haas has failed with its protest into the race result at the Australian Grand Prix after controversy surrounding a late race restart.

Kevin Magnussen’s crash triggered a red flag that left two laps possible after a standing start. The first corner saw multiple incidents – including crashes for the Alpine drivers and Fernando Alonso being spun to the back before Lance Stroll went off – that led to the race being red-flagged again just three corners later.

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As the cars filtered through the first sector, Nico Hulkenberg was promoted to fourth place behind Carlos Sainz, who would later get a time penalty for hitting Alonso, but the restart order for the cars to roll over the line on the final lap was taken from the previous restart positions, minus those cars that had retired.

That promoted the Aston Martins to third and fourth, with Hulkenberg classified in seventh, but Haas protested the provisional classification in an attempt to get the order taken from the first sector when the German was higher up. Had it been successful, such a change would have impacted multiple drivers and have given Haas the first podium in its history.

The stewards deemed the protest admissible based on the International Sporting Code, as Haas was claiming a breach of the regulation that states “In all cases the order will be taken at the last point at which it was possible to determine the position of all cars…” and arguing that “It was possible for the position of all the cars to be determined at the SC2 line not the previous starting grid”.

However, the stewards spoke to race director Neils Wittich and agreed that a decision needed to be made in a timely manner and that GPS data to establish the order of cars in such a situation was unreliable. As a result, the stewards felt the most appropriate point had been selected to determine the order at the time, and dismissed the Haas protest.

That confirmed the race result with Max Verstappen winning from Lewis Hamilton and Alonso, with Lance Stroll classified in fourth ahead of Sergio Perez, Lando Norris and Hulkenberg.

Steiner hints door is open for Ricciardo talks over 2024 return to grid

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner hints he’d be willing to talk to Daniel Ricciardo about a future race seat after the Australian said he’s leaning towards wanting to return to Formula 1 in 2024. Ricciardo opted against pursuing a vacancy at Haas …

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner hints he’d be willing to talk to Daniel Ricciardo about a future race seat after the Australian said he’s leaning towards wanting to return to Formula 1 in 2024.

Ricciardo opted against pursuing a vacancy at Haas once he had been released from his McLaren contract last year, preferring to take a season away from racing and joining Red Bull as third driver instead. On his first race weekend appearance, Ricciardo was quoted by ESPN as saying that he’s already thinking about a racing return next year.

“The signs are pointing towards getting back on the grid,” Ricciardo said. “I feel like that’s where I’m tracking in my head and a few of the habits that I’m having or doing is pointing towards that.

”It’s only been a few months but I think some itches have been scratched, so to speak. I’ve actually weirdly found that the days that I’ve had no schedule are the days when I’ve actually done training, and I’ve done things like I would before.”

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Given the fact that Steiner was interested in speaking to Ricciardo last year before choosing Nico Hulkenberg to replace Mick Schumacher, the Haas team principal says Ricciardo’s previous snub hasn’t closed the door even if his current lineup takes priority.

“It’s a little bit early to speak about a driver change already for next year,” Steiner said. “So let’s see how we are doing with these drivers and, for sure, at some point maybe I speak with him but I cannot promise anything because if our two guys do a good job…

“But for sure, everybody is wanting to speak with Danny after a year off — maybe he knows again what he wants to do and he will be interesting for everybody in Formula 1. But at the moment I have a new driver this year that has done only two races, so I need to give him a little bit of a chance.”

Ricciardo’s current team boss Christian Horner says he has already seen signs of improvement from the 33-year-old after two tough years at McLaren appeared to impact his driving style.

“When he first turned up after Abu Dhabi — I think the problem is when you drive a car that obviously has its limitations, you adapt and you try and adjust to extract the maximum out of that car,” Horner said. “And it was clear when he came back, that he picked up some habits that we didn’t recognize as the Daniel that that had left us two or three years earlier.

“But having had time off over Christmas and so on and a chance to reset, when he’s come back and got into the 2023 work, he’s hit the ground running and I think he likes the feel of the car in the virtual world which seems to correlate well with what we’re seeing in the actual world. I think he’s desperate to get a run in the car at some point to validate that, but we’re certainly seeing him getting back to being far more reminiscent of the Daniel that we knew.”