Regardless of a disappointing 2023 marketing campaign, Haas staff boss Guenther Steiner is optimistic in regards to the US outfit’s prospects for 2024, boldly cliaming that it may even find yourself “prime of the midfield” subsequent season.
After an encouraging opening salvo, with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg scoring three top-ten finishes within the first 5 races, Haas’ efficiency faltered.
Continual tyre degradation points conspired to undermine Magnussen and Hulkenberg’s efforts on race day, limiting the pair’s scoring to simply 4 factors within the remaining seventeen occasions, leaving Haas languishing in final place in F1’s Constructors’ standings on the finish of the season.
Whereas the expectation of Haas turning into “prime of the midfield” appears bold contemplating the staff’s latest struggles, Steiner’s confidence is rooted within the outfit’s dedication to enchancment throughout the context of the game’s finances cap.
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The staff has already demonstrated its capacity to supply aggressive automobiles, and with the teachings discovered in 2023 and the give attention to improvement in 2024, Steiner feels there’s cause to imagine that Haas may certainly problem for a extra outstanding place within the midfield subsequent season.
“With the finances cap in place now, all the things is feasible,” Steiner informed Sky Sports activities F1.
“AlphaTauri finish of the season, McLaren starting of the season, they didn’t begin robust then at some stage they had been the second quickest automobile on the market, greater than as soon as. The whole lot is feasible.
©Haas
“The large groups are at all times the massive groups, for the following three to 5 years they are going to be at all times on the entrance, however the midfield… I don’t assume there are prime groups, midfield and backmarkers anymore.
“There are prime groups and the remainder for my part now as a result of everyone is in a great place financially as a enterprise [and] technically.
“We ended up final this yr however we may find yourself within the prime mid-field subsequent yr.”
Subsequent yr, Haas will proceed to entrust its automobiles to Magnussen and Hulkenberg, its skilled Danish-German duo.
However after witnessing the outstanding performances this yr of McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri, Steiner admitted that he may very well be tempted to rent a younger promising expertise as soon as once more sooner or later.
“For 2025, I feel there’s a giant alternative for younger drivers to return in,” commented the Italian.
“As a result of a few of them, the drivers who’re [on the grid] now possibly will cease doing it on the finish of 2024, a few of them would haven’t carried out, no one will choose them up.
“I’d see a greater alternative taking a threat on a younger driver than protecting someone who didn’t carry out.
“We had it in 2023 when Oscar Piastri got here in. Earlier than that everyone was not sure about rookies, he got here in and was good right away.
“So, we now see these items and say OK it labored with Piastri, why wouldn’t it not work with someone else?
“You could have some historical past there now.”
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