Kevin Magnussen says Haas hasn’t been able to make the best of its 2018 car because of the three-year-old team’s lack of experience.
Among the team’s setbacks this year are a pair of disqualifications. Magnussen lost eighth place in the United States Grand Prix and last week the FIA Appeal Court confirmed Romain Grosjean’s exclusion from sixth at Monza.Magnussen admitted the team’s car was quick enough for fourth place in the constructors’ championship. But the team now lies 30 points behind that position which is occupied by Renault.
“We would prefer to have these points,” Magnussen said when asked about the appeal defeat. “But in the end of the day it is what it is. It’s the rules, we tried to give it a go but it didn’t work out. I don’t think it’s that much of a blow for us.”
“I think if we finish within eight points of Renault behind them then it’s going to be a little bit annoying of course,” he added. “But it is what it is, we’re not going to complain about it we just move on and try to maximise out chances of staying in the fight and beating Renault for the last two races.”
The difference between fourth and fifth place could cost Haas millions of dollars in income from F1’s prize fund.
“It brings prize money which we can put into the development so of course it’s important,” Magnussen admitted. “But I think this year we’ve gone a good job.
“We had the performance in the car to probably finish fourth in the championship but we haven’t been able to really capitalise enough. We’re a very new team and I think we are punching above our weight a little bit with a car that’s a little bit too good for the experience we have, probably.
“But that just shows what kind of talent and potential the team has. We’ve just got to get more experience and minimise mistakes and improve consistency so we can properly fight for the position that we deserved.”
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Todfod (@todfod)
9th November 2018, 7:41
Haas could have sealed P4 with better drivers too.
Mark (@mrcento)
9th November 2018, 8:02
Absolutely.
Grosjeans incidents alone have cost them over 30 points (and handed Renault much of that on a plate). He never scored a point until Austria, KMag had already racked up 27 by then.
He’s only made the points 5 times, Hulkenberg has been there 11 times (despite 5 retirements), Sainz 12.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
9th November 2018, 8:31
@todfod agreed, but they probably saw themselves in a lower position and acted accordingly. I think both Romain and Kevin can deliver more, especially the Frenchman. I’m surprised they confirmed both but probably they favored continuity and momentum. Anyway, I understand that KMag can be too harsh on track but I really like him.
bosyber (@bosyber)
9th November 2018, 12:45
I do see your point @todfod, but, it seems quite likely that Magnussen is right that the teams still lack experience (if only to tell them not to run a bit on the car that has been declared not-legal, or to spend time appealing that), and if so, @m-bagattini has a point about continuity and momentum – they need consistency and stability to see where they are lacking.
When they feel they are equals to what they think Renault should be doing: fight at the front, they can always look for better drivers.
rpiian (@rpiian)
9th November 2018, 19:02
From an Autoweek article, Gene Haas says he prefers driver consistency. Reason being it can take them a year or more to get up to speed, and that it doesn’t account for “much” of a performance difference.
Being on the outside it’s hard to tell… Over my last 11 years watching there have definitely been some good drivers, but also some REAL BAD apples. Compare Hamilton to Grosjean for example… Brilliant drives aside, how many purely boneheaded moves has Crashjean made, starting in 2009? 3? 4? 12? What about Hamilton? Maybe 1? 2?
I enjoy watching Grosjean in his element, but his career is absolutely littered with crashes.
dio
9th November 2018, 7:46
When you have access to free data…when you dont have to create something from zero…thats what you get. a good car.
praero
9th November 2018, 13:01
They have access to which data?
I thought they were invoiced for the parts they buy, and they refused to bring on developement drivers unlike TR, FI, Sauber…..so they dont look to be a B team to mee, but you maybee have some facts…. like Alo lol
grat
10th November 2018, 2:36
Sssh! Dio’s on a roll. Don’t distract him from facts. He probably thinks the Ferrari and the Haas have the same aero kits, even though a blind person could see they’re nothing alike.
Bridge Wilson (@gwbridge)
9th November 2018, 14:33
That comment is equivalent to walking into a room and accusing someone of a crime and then promptly walking out again. It’s a baseless accusation lacking any evidence, particularly the declaration that HaasF1 receives ANYTHING for free. HaasF1 pay their own way and are a significant source of income to Ferrari. They get no bonuses from F1 just for showing up as do other teams (including the embarrassingly uncompetitive Williams F1 team), and they score a lot of points for a team on a limited budget with far, far fewer employees than the larger teams they are competitive with. Finally, if you want to talk about “free” then let’s talk about what HaasF1 has had to pay simply to compete while Force India is allowed to change ownership and change their name in the middle of the season while the license they raced under at the beginning of the season was still owned by the original team owners. All of these “sour grapes” comments about the way HaasF1 entered F1 and how they construct their car are from people who do not understand or respect the F1 regulations. Free data my you know what.
MaliceCooper
9th November 2018, 7:56
Running a car that you know to be illegal. Trusting in Gros/Mag to deliver the goods. Failing to snap up someone like a Dan Ric or Leclerc. It’s not all about inexperience?
Fudge Kobayashi (@)
9th November 2018, 10:10
I don’t think they ever had a shot at DR or Leclerc, however there are definitely better drivers out there that would have brought 4th home.
Kelvin (@kelvin38)
9th November 2018, 10:37
In what world would it make sense to take either of them?
DR Wants a championship car. HAAS is against all odds on that. They need to outperform their main supplier on majour aero parts and engine.
So on that account DR wouldnt sign for more then a year oh and btw, he had a seat at RB. Why would he go to HAAS?
Leclerc was on a fast track to Ferrari, Only Kimi stood in his way.
Again, it would only be a one year deal.
HAAS has said again and again: Stability is the key.
Besides, The current drivers are more then capable of putting that car in the best of the rest. HAAS has learned to handle them better and give them the working environment they need. They are the best drivers they can currently get for what they want to archive.
Kelvin (@kelvin38)
9th November 2018, 8:38
To me it seems both the drivers and the team is getting it more and more together.
Both drivers have had some hard criticism but I hope that 2019 will be a good year for all of them.
Showing others that a “low” budget teams can compete. And yes, I know that they wont reach the Trinity at the top.
But if it sparks a team or two more in the midfield, we have more exciting races.
Trayambak Chakravarty (@major-dev)
9th November 2018, 8:39
I think Alonso’s comments from the beginning of the year still stand, being that Haas basically used a 2017 Ferrari, which was a championship contender as their base to build upon this season. Basically, they had a good car majorly because of the Ferrari partnership, and now I’m confused where Sauber fits into that equation.
MrBoerns (@mrboerns)
9th November 2018, 9:01
@major-dev well but if we assume alonso says the truth than McLaren also had a brilliant, best of the field chassis to Build on, which apparently is not difficult from that point on?
bosyber (@bosyber)
9th November 2018, 13:14
Well indeed @mrboerns; I do think there’s something to it that they are using components that are higher quality than they themselves could create, and maybe indeed, than they can run with full confidence that they understand them; I don’t see them being a ‘2017 Ferrari’ but having learned more than other teams from 2017 Ferrari, that might be true.
Poul
9th November 2018, 13:07
Everything Alonso ever says spring from hurt and deserving feelings due to his own dreadful career choruses.
The 2017 Ferrari doesn’t have the same wheel base as this years cars. If you knew half a cent about aero and balance you would know that that’s the end of the discussion. There is no way to make a 2017 copy work well and Alonso’s comment are complete nonsense designed to create a stir and discredit as many competitors as possible. And if you even cared to look a little closer before posting you’d realize how different those cars really look.
grat
10th November 2018, 2:39
I would say Alonso is also confused. He claimed the McLaren was the fastest chassis on the grid last year, and was held back by it’s engine. Now, the same engine that Alonso has, has won multiple races this year, and Alonso has yet to make a podium.