Gunther Steiner: Monaco is an absolute classic

Ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, Haas F1 boss Gunther Steiner summarized the results of the final stage and spoke about the team’s duties this weekend…

Q: In Spain your riders started in the top ten but didn’t earn any points. What conclusions have you drawn?
Gunther SteinerA: We were disappointed. In some ways we have not acted in the best way, we need to work on this.

We couldn’t influence the incident with Kevin in the fourth corner, after which we could only hope for the release of the safety car.

As for Mick, you need to understand how to use a more effective strategy in the future. I’m not jumping to conclusions, the strategy wasn’t completely wrong, we didn’t know how the new rubber would behave in the first segment, where we lost a lot of positions. You have to analyze everything before drawing conclusions.

Q: Many have prepared novelties for the podium in Spain. Who did they work for and where is the Haas F1 now?
Gunther Steiner: It is difficult to judge for whom the novelties have worked. The progress of Mercedes and Alfa Romeo is clear, but the rest I don’t know. Conditions were unusual, too hot for Spain at this time of year. We have to wait a few races to appreciate the changes in the balance of power.

We didn’t prepare any new items, but we were able to make the car go faster, at least in qualifying, just because of the settings. Our car still has the potential for growth in speed and in Spain we made a good step forward.

We compete in the middle group, where a lot depends on the track. In some races some cars are fast, in others others. It’s always interesting. I think it must be so.

Ask Ahead in Monaco. Do you still consider it the jewel of our sport, or will the introduction of new circuits increase the pressure on historic podiums?
Gunther Steiner: Monaco is an absolute classic, this stage has always been on the calendar. We like to come, but Formula 1 is developing in different directions, which is interesting for the fans. It’s great that all stages are different, Monaco is one of the special stages.

Q: This year’s Monaco Grand Prix will be held in a standard three-day format. Previously, training was held on Thursday and Friday was a day off. How will this affect the preparation for the stage, as the Spanish stage was held last week?
Gunther Steiner: If we kept to the previous schedule – training on Thursday and on Friday – a day off, it would not be easy to keep our heads above water.

With 22 races on the calendar this year, it would be difficult to fit an extra day into the schedule. I think the decision to change the format was the right one. Over the weekend, no one will remember that we used to practice on Thursdays.