Kevin Magnussen: “You have to be patient”
At the bottom of the rankings in Monza, the Haas had a very difficult race at Monza, but that doesn't prevent the Danish driver from finding his team stronger than ever.
In Italy, Haas experienced a forgettable Grand Prix. Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg finished 17th and 18th, respectively, which is dead last (Ocon and Tsunoda having retired). It is actually only the second time this season that two teammates bring up the rear in a GP, with AlphaTauri having already done so at Silverstone.
Not very glorious for the American team, where the assessment was unanimous on Sunday after the race. « Frankly, we were far from deserving points today », Hülkenberg coldly admitted, while his colleague talked about « the worst race » of the season.
K-Mag remains optimistic nonetheless. The Danish driver even believes that the team’s organization is in the best shape it has ever been and has all the elements to move forward. « I still believe that the team is in a stronger position than it has ever been. It is paradoxical that we probably have one of the weakest cars we have ever had. »
« I think that we can and will do much better »
Engulfed in the depths of the ranking, Haas only has a small point advantage over Alfa Romeo and is heading towards a battle for 8th place. According to Magnussen, returning to better positions will require a lot of patience. « With the solid foundation that I see, I believe we can do much better and I think we will do much better. It’s really a game of patience. It’s about sticking to what we have for now and waiting for better. »
In 2018, after only three years of existence, Haas achieved its best position in the constructor’s championship by finishing 5th. This was already with Kevin Magnussen. Since then, the team has been struggling in the bottom three positions of the standings. A potential return to better results may come through an association with Alfa Romeo, as rumors linking Haas F1 and Alfa Romeo for 2024 gain momentum.
