The notorious run-in between Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix led some to expect fireworks between Haas’ latest driver pairing.
So far, nothing like that has materialised. Indeed, Hulkenberg must be relieved not only to have the opportunity to resume his Formula 1 career four years after it seemingly ended, but against a driver he appears to have the measure of so far.It’s easy to forget neither of these drivers started an F1 race during 2021, the pair’s careers seemingly over. Magnussen’s return came thanks to Nikita Mazepin’s ejection from Haas, and once he showed Mick Schumacher the way the door swung open for Hulkenberg to join him.
But from the off Magnussen has struggled to extract the best from the VF-23 over a single lap. That’s a problem, because the car’s only strength appears to be its qualifying pace.
Kevin Magnussen delivered their best qualifying position for a grand prix in Miami and converted it into 10th place. This was very much against the run of play, but was a reminder he hasn’t lost his touch.
Magnussen freely admits he has found it hard to understand why he hasn’t been able to make his car work as well in qualifying as his team mate can. However Haas have often used Magnussen’s car to assess set-up changes on Fridays, only to revert to Hulkenberg’s set-up for qualifying, which hasn’t helped matters for the occupant of number 20.
Reliability has been a particular problem for Haas as well. This compromised Hulkenberg’s weekend at Spa, halted him in Austria where he qualified eighth, and ruined Magnussen’s British Grand Prix.
Last year, when Haas was preparing to drop Schumacher, team principal Guenther Steiner said he felt Magnussen needed a stronger team mate to motivate him to keep delivering his best. It seems that concern was well-founded, and as Steiner has lavished praise on Hulkenberg’s one-lap pace, Magnussen will go into the second half of the season in no doubt over where he must improve.
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| BAH | SAU | AUS | AZE | MIA | MON | SPA | CAN | AUT | GBR | HUN | BEL | ||
| Magnussen | Q |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
| R | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
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Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Negative value: Magnussen was faster; Positive value: Hulkenberg was faster
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PacificPR (@streydt)
8th August 2023, 17:43
I really like both K-Mag and Hulk as drivers and personalities but I do feel they have had their chances in F1. As much as I still would like to see them shine and have some great moments in F1 – I fear and feel the momentum has gone. Not just for K-Mag and Hulk but also for Haas. Maybe a new young talent can inspire and drive the team forward and / or in a new fresh direction. Maybe someone like Drugovich or wouldn’t it be great if Newgarden would get a chance.
BasCB (@bascb)
9th August 2023, 7:34
Putting any inexperienced drivers in the Haas and they would probably be completely lost @streydt. This team lacks a the structure (and will?) to support a rookie to learn and adapt to F1.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
9th August 2023, 11:04
Indeed, they already ruined mick schumacher, who is just fine for f1, since they don’t give young drivers the time to develop they might as well stick to established drivers.
Erzen (@xenn1)
9th August 2023, 8:04
@streydt i really don’t get why all the fans are pushing for Haas to get other young and inexperienced drivers. That’s a recipe for disaster both for Haas and said young inexperienced drivers.
What Haas need are experienced drivers who have had success in the sport. I like both Hulkenberg and Magnussen but they haven’t won any races and share a single podium between them in their careers. Haas need multiple race winners or maybe a world champion in the tail end of their career who will set a direction for the team. They can acquire one such driver by showing some intent and actually making a proper investment into the team, something that Gene Haas either can’t, or doesn’t want to do. Hopefully the incoming Alfa Romeo sponsorship changes that.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
9th August 2023, 8:27
@streydt if you’re a rookie, chosing Haas would be an absolute tragedy for your career. Haas can only survive using drivers that are good, but have nothing else to prove… they are lucky they have 11 points!
PacificPR (@streydt)
9th August 2023, 16:38
You all make very valid points and I guess my reasoning is a bit naive. But I just find it such a shame that a team like Haas isn’t supporting young talent (as much as I do like the current line up). I feel the team is in the Doldrums and going nowhere. I see someone saying Alfa Romeo will join them (would make sense and could be boost). One thing I would like to add though, Haas might not get as many points with a rookie but it might create more attention – I mean look at the situation with Mick last year, Haas was all over the news. This year not so much.
JA
9th August 2023, 19:32
They were all over the news because it was Mick Schumacher, not because it was a rookie. Mick Schumacher is still one of the most talked about drivers in F1 and he isn’t even on the grid. If you watch news of him on some social media platform the comment section is complete bananas. They gave him two seasons – ample time for him to prove himself and he didn’t.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
8th August 2023, 18:32
@streydt For a team like Haas there’s zero incentive to do as you suggest. They need results and the only reason to think of replacing KM is if by the end of the season he’s still beaten by NH by the same margin on qualy and points where he has a quarter of what the Hulk has got. As for the Hulk the way he’s performing right now it would be lunacy to replace him, especially with Drugovich, who I’m not sure ay all would be any improvement on KM, let alone NH, even after he goes through the rookie phase which, as proven by Mivk last year Haas are intolerant of. As for Newgarden it’s completely far fetched and unrealistic to think he’ll walk away from Penske to drive a Haas just to put a season of F1 on his CV.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
8th August 2023, 20:47
These guys are both limp dicks. Saying Hulk is somehow pushing him is disingenuous. Hulk qualifies better for sure, but is always behind Mag or barely in front after 10 laps or so. Hulk is no better than that Russian dude at challenging Mag which pretty much means Mag is terrible as well.
zomtec (@zomtec)
8th August 2023, 20:57
When did Mazepin challenge Magnussen. You’re mixing things Up in your rant.
Just accept that Hulk is still doing well.
Todfod (@todfod)
9th August 2023, 7:41
Yeah.. because Mazepin consistently got the 2nd slowest car on the grid in to Q3. Then finished ahead of Magnussen as well. Sure….
d0senbrot (@d0senbrot)
9th August 2023, 9:10
The regularity with which you trash Hülkenberg seems comical. Did he ever steal your lunch or where does this persistence come from?
Objective criticism is certainly appropriate, but consider the circumstances in which he must perform. He may be a mediocre driver, but he seems almost too good for Haas.
montreal95 (@montreal95)
9th August 2023, 11:35
@darryn What a limp comment. That Russian guy has never been in the same team as KM you can’t even get that right. Also you do realize that if a car is the worst on the tires on the grid of course you can’t sustain qualy speed, you drive to the limitation of the car and the car is useless. But the Hulk’s qualy speed is what brought the result which is that KM has barely over a quarter of the points that the Hulk has.
Laz
9th August 2023, 11:49
You realise prior to Spa the last time Magnussen finished ahead of Hulkenberg was back in Miami.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
9th August 2023, 11:30
Hulk has been the biggest positive surprise on the drivers’ side this season for me. I really expected him to struggle having been out of the sport for a few years, but some of his qualifying performances have been outstanding. It’s a shame that the car chews its tyres and as a result has no race pace, which doesn’t allow either driver to show much in the races as they inevitably fall back towards their natural position, regardless of where they qualify.