Oct.11 (GMM) Gunther Steiner’s absence isn’t essentially the rationale for the drastic enchancment made by the small American workforce Haas in 2024.
That’s the view of Ralf Schumacher, usually a fierce critic of the Steiner-led period on the F1 workforce.
Haas is now led by the workforce’s former senior race engineer Ayao Komatsu.
However when Steiner was in cost in 2021 and 2022, Ralf’s nephew Mick drove for the workforce till – following an extended interval of public criticism by Steiner – he was dropped.
Final 12 months, Haas completed useless final within the constructors’ standings. However in 2024, the workforce has dramatically improved below Komatsu’s management, and is at the moment forward of Williams, Alpine and Sauber – and just some factors behind RB.
“I don’t wish to say that Gunther had a lot affect that he was stopping or slowing down the method that we’re seeing now,” Ralf Schumacher advised formel1.de.
“I feel it’s the core of the workforce – the technical group that makes the technical selections – that has carried out a superb job. Whether or not that additionally would have been the case with or with out Steiner’s technique as workforce boss, I don’t know. I can’t decide that,” the German and former F1 driver added.
Schumacher thinks fellow German Nico Hulkenberg has really performed an enormous half in Haas taking stepping as much as the subsequent degree. He’s heading to Audi-Sauber for 2025, and will probably be changed full-time by rookie Oliver Bearman.
“Nico is completely a qualifying beast and I used to be a bit shocked when Bearman beat him in Baku,” Schumacher, 49, mentioned.
“However I’ve to say that it has develop into a close-knit group they usually appear very decided.”
Ferrari-powered Haas introduced a brand new technical partnership with Toyota on Friday.
[50]_copy.jpeg?environment=live&width=1200&height=630&fit=crop "Impact of Haas's COTA upgrades could be decided in the margins")
