Brazil GP Magrussen (motorsportweek.com)
Following a Disappointing 2023 Season, Haas Driver Calls for Innovation and Consistency
Kevin Magnussen, driver for the Haas Formula 1 team, has challenged the team to “break the status quo” with their 2024 F1 car as they aim to bounce back from a challenging 2023 season that saw them at the bottom of the standings. Despite a promising 2022 after technical regulation changes, Haas struggled in the second year with the latest ground effect machines, earning only 12 points throughout the 22 rounds.
Magnussen, noting the team’s efforts to break with tradition in the 2023 season, emphasized the need for innovation and improvement in the upcoming season. He acknowledged the difficulties faced by Haas, including aerodynamic limitations and tire degradation concerns in race trim. Despite the struggles, Magnussen highlighted flashes of promising performance in qualifying, indicating underlying potential within the team.
“This year, we haven’t been able to find better performance even on the drawing board, so we need to break that. Things are looking better back at the factory, and we kind of broke that status quo that we had for too big a part of the season,” said Magnussen.
While acknowledging the frustrations of inconsistent top-level performance, Magnussen finds motivation in the glimpses of excellence demonstrated by the team. Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg opted to revert to the old-spec car for the final two rounds, emphasizing comfort and perspective on performance differences. Magnussen sees the comparison as an opportunity to understand and improve.
“It’s frustrating because we can’t seem to hit consistency with our top-level performance. But also motivating at the same time because you can see there is some performance in there that we just can’t seem to unlock properly,” added Magnussen.
As Haas prepares for the 2024 season, Magnussen’s call for breaking the mold underscores the team’s determination to overcome challenges and regain competitiveness in the highly competitive F1 landscape.