Haas organizes Family Day for the first time since 2019

Haas F1 head Gunther Steiner commented on some of the results from the Canadian stage and also shared what the team will do before the British Grand Prix†

Q: One of the positive aspects of the Canadian weekend was that Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen steered very confidently on Saturday, repeating the team’s best qualifying performance. How do you evaluate their results?
Gunther Steiner: Saturday was very successful for the whole team, everyone worked perfectly, although if your riders didn’t grab the front row, the result isn’t ideal. But it was really our best qualifying after some difficult weekends. Racers, engineers, mechanics – they all acted very well.

Q: Does the team understand why the VF-22 performed so well on a wet track? In Montreal we saw this for the second time this season, and the first time it was in Imola…
Gunther Steiner: I’d say the machine as a whole is quite efficient. Difficulties we mainly start on fast tracks that need little downforce, but when it rains these factors are not so important, even on such tracks. I think we did well. We have a good car, two good drivers and I don’t think we have any special secret regarding the speed of the car on a wet track.

Q: Before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, one of those races that fans love the most. For many teams this is a home event and for the first time since 2019 Haas F1 is hosting a “Family Day” where drivers can spend some time off the track with the team and their families.

How important is it to have such meetings in a very tight championship calendar?
Gunther Steiner: It is very good that we can again organize such a meeting for the families of employees. Due to the pandemic that started in 2020, we didn’t keep them, last year we planned to celebrate Christmas, but at the last minute it had to be canceled, and I am very happy that we will finally spend time together.

This is very important because the team travels a lot from race to race, and it is great that we can now show the families of our employees what they do, explain why they are so rarely home and why this work requires so much effort. I am looking forward to this meeting with great impatience – according to our calculations it will bring together a record number of participants.

Q: In July we have to have four races, after which there is a break in the championship in August. Does such a busy schedule help to keep the concentration of the riders and the whole team at a high level?
Gunther Steiner: It’s not about that, but since the season consists of 22 stages, they have to be divided up somehow and I think it’s better to have such a tight schedule before the summer holidays than right after. In July we have a lot of work to do, but let’s hope we can show good results. I have no doubt that the team will be tired at the end of this four-race series, but then we have a few weeks to recuperate.