Nico Hulkenberg SLAMS Haas F1’s ‘terribly bad’ car development for Monza

Haas have fallen behind their rivals, Aston Martin and Williams in the development battle.

Nico Hulkenberg at Monza pre-race conference (Credits: IMAGO)

Following the Italian GP, Nico Hulkenberg did not mince his words and bashed Haas’ “terribly bad” development plan after a disastrous performance at Monza, leaving the American outfit in disarray. While Hulkenberg often shines in qualifying, the race exposes their weaknesses. The team is grappling for better results and hasn’t scored points since the Austrian GP, which was over two months ago.

As the checkered flag waved at the Italian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg was in a disappointing 17th place, grappling with performance issues and rapidly degrading tires. Teammate Kevin Magnussen fared no better, finishing just behind in 18th place, a clear indication of Haas’ struggles.

Hulkenberg held no words in his assessment of Haas, stating, “We are terribly bad compared to the competition.” The team’s nightmare performance left them unable to break their points drought at Monza. They were the only team not to bring a Monza-specific, lower downforce rear wing, and that hurt their race even more.

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We are speaking about this to Formu1a.uno, Hulkenberg criticized the American outfit for doing so little and expecting more in return, saying, “We are the only team that didn’t bring anything with us to Monza. Anyone who does so little can’t expect much.” He added, “We’re not worthy of points here, and we are from it… We have to accept that now.”

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Nico Hulkenberg doesn’t expect Singapore to be their best race

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas (Credits: Sports Illustrated)

Haas faces deeper problems beyond a single race. Tire management is a pressing issue; Hulkenberg’s strong qualifying often contrasts with race struggles due to tire wear. Impressive one-lap pace loses meaning if tires deteriorate rapidly. Furthermore, Haas’ development is worrisome. Teams once behind them in standings have swiftly closed the gap, exposing Haas’ inability to keep pace. Despite a promising start, they’re now on a downhill trajectory, nursing wounds from performance decline.

Magnussen’s struggles add to Haas’ woes. While Hulkenberg consistently extracts remarkable performances from the subpar VF-23 during qualifying, Magnussen lags by an average of 0.5 seconds. This disparity within the team further underscores the team’s challenges. The team heads to Singapore for next weekend, a track that bodes them well. However, the German doesn’t “expect any huge bright patches.”

Nico predicted a tough weekend for us at Monza and so it was, but hopes the next race in Singapore will allow us to be more competitive.#HaasF1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/MfUNCnIjji
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) September 3, 2023

Guenther Steiner, Haas’ team principal, had promised a robust development plan for 2023 to address their perennial Achilles’ heel. However, this plan has failed to materialize, leaving the team with unchanged performance and unresolved tire management issues. Haas’ woes stem from more significant concerns, including a limited budget and a lack of autonomy. Haas’ disappointing Monza outing reminds them that they must promptly address their development woes. Otherwise, they risk becoming perennial underachievers.