Haas team principal Günter Steiner has confirmed that only Kevin Magnussen will receive the updated car at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix.
Mick Schumacher will have to wait for new items – the team was behind schedule and did not have time to prepare duplicate updates as they had spent production capacity restoring Schumacher’s car after serious accidents in Saudi Arabia and Monaco.
Q: How do you rate the team’s performance on the track Paul Ricard?
Gunther Steiner: Now we know what our car is capable of if we work hard. I think we did well in France. Kevin got a new bike and started last because of the penalty, but in qualifying he showed what we can do. The same can be said about Mika but unfortunately he was a little further from where we should have been so he started from the back of the pack but he gained a lot of positions in the early laps.
I believe we had the right strategy, which gave us the best chance of earning points, but unfortunately the safety car left at the most inopportune moment for both our drivers and we rolled back. However, the team found that if we manage to get the settings right, we can fight at the head of the middle group.
Q: At the Hungarian Grand Prix, the team will present the first major update of the season to the car. What do you expect from new products?
Gunther Steiner: As many people know, we had to wait a little longer for new products to appear on the track because I thought we were already at a good pace. Now we want to add. I don’t want to go into details to screw it up, but we know what kind of boost the new items should provide. It remains to be seen until they show themselves on the track.
We were unable to prepare new items for two cars at the same time. As Kevin is higher in the individual standings, updates will appear on his car. Unfortunately, we experienced several delays in the development process and had to move the debut from the stage in France to Hungary.
In addition, given the spare parts situation at the start of the season, we were behind the production schedule until the seventh or eighth stage. As a result, we currently do not have enough parts for both machines. We are still short of spare parts for one machine, but I hope we can solve this problem in Hungary.
Everyone, both in the team and our suppliers, has been working hard to prepare new items, so I am very happy that there will be updates on at least one machine in Hungary. We want to get information about their work before the summer holidays, and if all goes well, the new items will appear on two machines.
Q: How do you rate the first half of the season and what are your expectations for the second?
Gunther Steiner: I can highlight some highlights of the season. First, sixth place in Bahrain. Second, our strong performance at Silverstone and Austria after several failed races. For me these are the highlights of the season and I hope we will continue to be successful. But first let’s see what we can do in Hungary. I hope that after the summer break we will get in shape and start earning points in every race.
Q: What are your plans for the August break? Planning another trip to the mountains?
Gunther Steiner: This year I stay lower! I’m going to spend a few days in Tuscany with my family and relax. I have some hikes planned, but I won’t climb as high as last year.
It’s nice that we have a few weeks off. The whole team will be able to recover at the end of August and be able to work stronger.
Question: A series of stages will be built immediately after the summer break. Will it allow you to get to work right away or would it be better if the return to the track turned out to be more balanced?
Gunther Steiner: I don’t think there is a perfect solution for such a calendar. We are fortunate to have three races in Europe after the break so that some of the team can return home between races. That’s the situation with the calendar right now, but I don’t mind.
The good news is that we will end the season in November. The team has December at their disposal and the history of last year will not repeat itself, when we had to work until mid-December due to the corona virus. The first three weeks after the break will be difficult, but I hope we will be full of energy and start earning points.
Source: F1 News
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