Formula 1

Steiner confident that Haas can compete in F1 development race

Published Apr. 24, 2017 11:23 a.m. ET

Adam Cooper

Haas F1 team boss Guenther Steiner is confident that the team can keep up in the tight midfield battle that involves Renault, Williams, Toro Rosso and Force India.

Haas has started the year strongly, with Kevin Magnussen earning eighth in China and Romain Grosjean repeating that result in Bahrain. The Frenchman has also qualified as high as sixth in Australia, and ninth in Bahrain. However, overall results have been compromised by yellow flags that spoiled the end of Q1 for Grosjean in Bahrain, and Magnussen in China.

Steiner says that the team will match rivals in the development race this season.

“We will bring stuff as well,” he said. “Last year we had a plan not to bring anything and therefore we knew what we were going to do, because we focused for this year’s car, because of the new regulations. This year we have a plan that we are bringing updates as well, so it’s a race against who’s bringing the best updates.

“I don’t feel that we are bringing less than the other midfield teams – we will bring less than the big ones, but with the other midfield teams, I think we are in the same ballpark. So I’m not worried about that. We’ve got the same chance, the same preparation, and we’ve got a very similar plan, I believe.”

He’s confident that the team can perform well.

“We always said that on a good day we can be the fourth or fifth fastest team this year. We did it in Australia, we were fast, we qualified sixth. We didn’t qualify as well in China, but still we finished eighth, which was the best we could do. We know the car is there, we just need to have a trouble-free weekend once.”

Regarding how the improved form of the works Ferrari has helped Haas, he said: “The engine 100 percent translates over to us. It’s always difficult to say how much better, but it is better, and it all helps.”

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