Haas aims to build on its success in China with more predictable F1 than in 2023

Four points in four races. We can say that the American team is having a very good start to the season compared to the results of recent years. After expressing its fears during the winter about starting the year at a disadvantage, and potentially even ending up at the back of the grid, we can observe a much better situation than expected. In the middle of the pack of five teams bringing up the rear, its points total puts Hass in seventh place in the constructors’ championship.

But the biggest transformation at Haas is not measured in points. It is rather a strong mindset that contributes to the success of the American team with a new leader. Drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg have spoken on the subject and praised this approach.

The team no longer approaches race day with the fear of dropping in the rankings due to tire degradation issues. Hülkenberg’s car and his engineering-focused approach have given him a challenger that allows him to be delighted to be in the fight on Sunday, and that is the key to consistent points.

Kevin Magnussen declared that: “The fact that we can fight on Sunday is such an important thing. It changes everything. It was so frustrating last year, and even in 2022, we saw some signs of it. But yes, it’s like a fresh start.”

Nico Hülkenberg added: « It’s certain that we are in a different environment and world compared to last year. We’ve flatlined the entire aerodynamics, desensitizing the car to disruptions. That seemed very crucial and key », explained Hülkenberg.

The improvement of tire management is the highlight of aerodynamic and mechanical approaches, and it is these two factors that have come together to contribute to it.

And even if progress is promising, Haas’s technical director, Andrea de Zordo, emphasizes that it would be wrong to suggest that Haas has met all its tire expectations. Understanding fully is a big word. But I think we’ve taken a big step forward.

« I think we have learned a lot, but at the same time, I think there are certain characteristics that may not have been foreseen. » he explains. « That’s why, for some reason, you pay more during the race than during qualifying or vice versa. So, this year, the car may be a little better in the race, and that was probably a surprise for us. »

An upgraded package for China

Great lessons have also been learned from pre-season testing in Bahrain, where Haas focused on long-term performance to understand all the dynamics in place with its car.

« This allowed us to discover a lot of things,” added Zordo. « Perhaps some small details in the settings and features that make everything a little clearer. I think ultimately, the problem we had last year depends on many things, not just one thing.”

« It was the aerodynamic characteristics, the settings, and the driving style. And it seems that we tried to put everything in place. Much more understanding this year. And we also know a lot of things we can do.

Not everything is lost, improvements should be made. Of course, it takes time. So we are working on it. And it’s quite encouraging because it probably means that we can also improve over the year.

The team boss, Ayao Komatsu, also spoke about a car that is not necessarily faster in all areas, but is better where it counts. « It’s not like we have overall more grip, because if you look at the performance in high-speed corners, I don’t think we are much faster than last year, » he said.

« But in terms, let’s say, of usable rear support in particular, it’s much better. So, drivers know what to expect. Last year’s car was so unpredictable, so difficult to use, that no matter what we did in terms of settings or driving, it would still fall out.

But with this year’s car, she has just enough consistency. Even if she’s not fast enough, there is still enough consistency for us to make a difference. So, the foundations are there, so now we really have to try to get improvements on the car. That’s the challenge.

This challenge starts this weekend in China, where the team plans to present its first upgrade package for 2024.