Season Review: Haas F1 Team

In 2021, Haas had to survive F1, which they did at the cost of two debutants on a budget – and the season turned out to be the worst in history. In 2022, the experienced Kevin Magnussen returned and the results immediately improved.

Haas F1 winter testing started with one compound and name and ended with another – between the tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, the team broke off relations with Nikita Mazepin and Uralkali. In literally three days we agreed on a contract with Kevin Magnussen – and to celebrate, he immediately showed the best time of the day during tests.

The year before, Kevin had been happy with his new American career, winning a race and earning points with IMSA SportsCar. The Dane then said he would only return to Formula 1 with a bid from Mercedes or Red Bull, but as this is not going to happen, he will not return.

It was not possible to continue his career in the United States and when Gunther Steiner unexpectedly offered to return to Haas at the beginning of March, Magnussen immediately agreed. Since then, he and the team have never regretted it.

The first race of the season already earned Haas F1 10 points. In Bahrain, Magnussen proved to be “the best of the rest”, losing only to Ferrari and Mercedes, although the Red Bull Racing drivers failed to finish that day. Then there were two more points on the next stage in Jeddah, where Kevin’s teammate Mick Schumacher failed to start.

Much was expected of Mick this year, as previously he always spent the second season in the series better than the first, but the German continued to beat the cars. The team had no extra money, but after the second stage they had to assemble a new chassis for Mick.

The accident was serious, in turn ten the car crashed into a curb and after turning it was flung first onto a concrete barrier and then onto a threshold on the opposite side of the track. Fortunately, Mick was unharmed, prompting Steiner to call his concerned mother.

Unfortunately for Mick and his career this was not the last accident, he continued to hit cars and after the team leader urged him not to, there literally could not be enough money to finish the season.

In Monaco, Mika’s car broke into two parts after an accident, in Suzuka he missed the second practice due to an accident in the first, after which the team again had to assemble a car for him on a spare chassis.

Schumacher had a logical explanation. He was inferior to the experienced Magnussen in terms of speed and tried to compensate by taking more risks on the track. Those who defended him rightly argued that a young racer should be able to crash cars. But only accidents were sometimes ridiculous, and in the rest of the races Mick finished behind Kevin, who did not get even a hundredth of the support that Schumacher received from Germany.

Halfway through the season it was clear to everyone that Mick would not become the “second Michael” for Formula 1. His father was unique and Mick was not the one he could rely on for the team. He continued to hit the car, they gradually stopped paying attention to him.

Every team has a number one they count on and a number two – in 2022 that was Haas F1 Mick Schumacher. And if he was ahead of his partner last year, although Mick and Nikita earned equal points at the end of the season – zero, then in 2022 Mick, in a much more competitive car, had half as many points as Kevin.

Over the course of the season Mick took points in just two of the 22 stages, his best result being sixth in Austria.

His team-mate Kevin scored points in seven races and on a drying track in Brazil gave the team its first pole position in his career and in Haas F1 history, a great birthday present for team owner Gene Haas.

In Brazil, Haas F1 informed Mick Schumacher that his contract would not be renewed. Teammate Kevin Magnussen will be the experienced Niko Hulkenberg in 2023. Steiner is obliged to look after the team’s financial well-being, and 23 or 24 Grands Prix next season could pay good dividends, and you probably don’t have to spend money on accidents. Well, Niko retains Germany’s presence in Formula 1 after the departure of Vettel and Schumacher.

Kevin and Niko have a difficult personal relationship, but they have matured, it is the last chance in Formula 1 for both of them, they do not have the chance to fight for the title behind the wheel of Haas F1, so they will forgive each other and just earn points. No one expects more from a modest American team.

Gunter Steiner“I met Mattia Binotto recently and he told me that next season’s bike will be the bomb.

We’ve had two difficult seasons due to the pandemic, the championship that just ended went well, but it could have been even better. We consider it a transitional arrangement. Magnussen gave us a pole that was not planned and now we want to take the next step.

Our goal in 2023 is to consistently fight for points and get on the podium one day. Next year we will have a more competitive car that will allow us to achieve this. We hope to beat AlphaTauri again.”