In the first phase of the season, Haas F1 was unlucky; the drivers were unable to earn any points, but the American team has reasons for some optimism.
In Bahrain, Nico Hulkenberg reached the final qualifying, but failed to use the advantage that his start from the top ten gave him and became one of the participants in the incident on the first lap of the race. After which he did everything he could to win back, but only finished 16th. Kevin Magnussen took 12th place, but on the Grand Prix distance both could easily fight with their direct rivals, and at the same time the new car was able to set a good pace and handle the tires much better than the VF-23 from last year.
The team will try to take full advantage of all this in Saudi Arabia. In the two previous races at the Jeddah circuit, Magnussen managed to earn points: in 2022 he finished 9th, last year 10th.
Kevin Magnussen: “I really like the circuit in Jeddah, especially because we finished in the top ten last year. It is a great pleasure to drive there, you experience great emotions, because the speeds there are very high and we take every turn close to the barriers.
There are no races at this city circuit all year round, so road conditions change significantly as the weekend progresses. The race takes place in the evening and some sessions are held during the day. All these factors need to be taken into account, just like in Bahrain or Singapore.
Before 2022 I had never raced there, not even on a simulator, and that year I was invited to the team at the last minute, so I flew to Bahrain without having time to work on the simulator. Then I had to learn everything literally on the go – I haven’t studied tracks in this mode for a long time, probably since the days of karting. Experiencing the Jeddah circuit in this way seemed like pure madness!”
Nico Hulkenberg: “The city circuit in Jeddah is very interesting, very fast and difficult, but I like it. In general, this city as a whole attracts with its lively atmosphere, and I have fond memories of this track, where I have spent two races so far.
It seems to me that I have prepared well for my third Grand Prix of Saudi Arabia and let’s hope that I can earn points this time.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
