Haas introduced an enormous package deal of upgrades to Austin, and like others who confronted the problem of solely having FP1 by which to hone up to date automobiles, the staff struggled to optimise the VF-23.
Following the Saturday dash the staff took the choice to take each automobiles out of parc ferme and change to a better downforce rear wing, in essence to cease the rear sliding and shield the tyres.
That meant that Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg needed to abandon their respective 14th and sixteenth slots on the grid and begin Sunday’s foremost race from the pit lane.
Hulkenberg completed thirteenth on the highway and Magnussen sixteenth, with each drivers gaining spots within the last outcomes from the disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
Nevertheless, the 5 factors scored through the weekend by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda meant Haas’s benefit within the constructors’ championship was decreased to 2 factors.
Steiner insisted that altering the automobiles and sacrificing monitor place initially was a superb name.
“I imply, at present was higher than yesterday,” he informed Autosport after the flag. “Thank God we made the choice to exit of the pit lane with the modified aero set-up.
“Clearly, we now want to have a look at information and stuff like this to have a greater beginning place in Mexico with the set-up.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Staff and Guenther Steiner, Staff Principal, Haas F1 Staff
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“We had been a bit of bit behind, understanding that we solely had one hour. It is not like saying that we did a nasty job, it was simply very tight, such an enormous improve, and stepping into right here.
“However we knew the danger, and we took the race, however I believe we all know for positive much more now than we did earlier than. And hopefully we will put it into efficiency in Mexico.”
Steiner mentioned that it’s exhausting to evaluate the potential of the brand new package deal after only one weekend.
“I do not know the way good it’s but,” he mentioned. “At the very least each drivers may race some individuals at present, as a result of the final 5 [races] we had been simply being overtaken, and not less than we may overtake some individuals at present.
“Are we ok? No. We have to get extra out of it. At the very least we’re transferring in the precise path.”
Magnussen agreed that altering the rear wing had paid off, though through the race he nonetheless complained concerning the rear sliding.
“I believe it helped,” the Dane replied when requested by Autosport concerning the upgrades, earlier than including: “Not sufficient.
“We nonetheless weren’t aggressive sufficient, after all, nevertheless it helped. And, yeah, we’ll look into issues and see what we expect.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23
Picture by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“As I mentioned, we helped the issue. I believe we had a greater race than we might have if we hadn’t modified. Regardless that we had been P14, ranging from the pitlane I nonetheless assume we had a greater race.”
Relating to the replace package deal, he mentioned: “I am nonetheless curious to see the way it evolves once we get to play with the set-up a bit of extra and optimise issues higher.
“We nonetheless go to various kinds of tracks. And we all know that issues may be up and down.
“And issues may be totally different on the subsequent race. Mexico is a really distinctive race as nicely, with the ambient strain and all that.”