Guenther Steiner states that it is better for Haas to have a 2022 ‘rollercoaster’ than “just downs” like 2021
Guenther Steiner feels the rollercoaster of the 2022 season took a lot of energy out of the team.
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Haas, the only American Formula 1 team had a horrible season in 2021. They were the only team without scoring any points. Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin were the two drivers racing for the team. There were internal conflicts and contradicting opinions between principal Guenther Steiner, and Mazepin. In 2022 Haas terminated the Russian, Mazepin’s contract due to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Mazepin’s father Dmitry Mazepin was a close ally of Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia which did not bode well for the driver.
This also led to the end of the sponsorship deal between the team and Urakali. After a dismal season, the team announced that Kevin Magnussen, a former Formula 1 driver will race along with Mick Schumacher. This pairing was not too bad for Guenther Steiner, Haas F1 team principal.
In 2022, Magnussen scored points in the first race of the season, Bahrain Grand Prix, which led to a huge celebration in the Haas garage. The team previously deprived of points had gone a year without scoring any, hence they were joyous. Schumacher scored his first Formula 1 points in the British Grand Prix. Steiner was over the moon as was the whole team.
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Guenther Steiner looks back ahead of a new season
In an interview with Autosports, Steiner discussed the season’s ups and downs. “If you could have more equal [form], it would be better. But as long as you can have some highs, it’s good” “It takes a lot of energy out of you, the ups and downs, because you have got these highs where you are flying, and you’ve got these lows where you need to recover. So it’s very difficult. But in the end, it’s better having a rollercoaster than having just downs like 2021.”
Though 2022 was a better year for Haas, Steiner strongly feels the highs and lows drained a lot of energy from the team and hopes for a consistent performance in the future. The team has a new driver line-up for the 2023 season. Nico Hülkenberg, former F1 driver will replace Mick Schumacher who is now the reserve driver for Mercedes AMG Petronas.
Steiner hopes that with all the experience his two drivers have, the team will move to a better place and be able to compete for podiums. Although the Haas team principal feels grateful for the highs and the lows, he sure hopes to get consistent results in the upcoming season.
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