As Netflix viewers will know all too well, Haas F1 Team boss GUENTHER STEINER never minces his words. MAXIM catches up with him to talk about his squad’s return to the midfield…
The 2022 F1 season came just in the nick of time for Haas. The American squad spent the better part of the last two seasons down the back of the grid, with last year a transition season to concentrate on the new era regulations car. It was a huge gamble, but one that paid off – with the team back at the head of the midfield, hoping for the chance at a lucky podium when the top teams slip up. The one who’s ridden the wave most of all is team boss Guenther Steiner, the no-nonsense operator whose ordinarily behind-the-scenes super-sweary rants have been made world-famous by Netflix series Formula 1: Drive To Survive. Expletives aside, Steiner is one of the paddock’s good guys, with a big heart.
So good to see Haas doing well again, Guenther. The opening race in Bahrain must have been such a relief for you?
Absolutely. If you think it’s good, we think it’s even better. It’s good for the team; we had a few tough years. And hopefully they are in the past. But I think we learnt a lot out of that. And I think that’s why we are where we are now.
When did you realise you might be onto a good thing?
I think after the Barcelona test. I was optimistic with the development of the car last year but I didn’t know what the other ones [teams] are having. Our guys did a great job in the development phase, the improvements we made over time, but I had no idea what the other people are doing. Obviously in Barcelona we could already see the car isn’t bad. We didn’t get the best out of it because we had so many reliability issues but then at the Bahrain test I thought we were top-three. I didn’t know where we were. And then Bahrain race comes here, and we really knew because it’s reality then. And that’s very good. Then having Kevin back helped as well a lot to the team.
How much have the results so far boosted morale at the team?
Results like this you don’t need to do anything anymore. It does it all for itself, the morale. That is what the people in Formula One, if you want to be successful, this is what you’re driving on. Success and a race after like what we had after two years coming best of the rest team, it was OK we are back. And the guys just love it. They know why they get up now in the morning – to get points.
What’s team owner Gene Haas had to say about how the team is going?
I think on one side he’s saying, yeah, you told me this was what you were going to do. And you guys did it very well. But, how can we do better? That’s Gene for you, you know.
You’re keen to be pragmatic with upgrades this year, how much of a fine line will that be, to ensure the car remains competitive?
That is what we want to control. There’s no point, under the budget cap, to introduce updates if they are not updates – if they are just like making new parts. So we will introduce them when we know they are giving us a performance increase in the car, and then we will introduce them. But I learnt in 2019 that just because we’re doing an update on race 10, then everyone works for race 10 for an upgrade, and maybe it’s only a few points on aero, and you spend lots of money for it. And you say what is this? So we need to make sure that whatever we develop in the wind tunnel gives us performance and then we will make it. But I’m against this, oh let’s go for the upgrades and do them because that’s what we have always done. No.
Haas has an office at Ferrari’s Maranello HQ. How much more potential is there to unlock in terms of the relationship with Ferrari?
The relationship was always very good from the beginning, from 2015, when we started the program. It’s just like now we are having an office inside Ferrari because that was logistically the easiest way to do it – that’s the only reason. This doesn’t increase the collaboration, because the collaboration is really guided by the FIA regulation and what you’re allowed to do. And we are not doing anything we shouldn’t be doing. It’s just logistically easier because some of the people working now for us they worked for Ferrari before, so basically they are in the same compound. They’re just entering via a different entrance to the building. At least they feel at home there instead of going outside and we would have to put a lot of infrastructure up so that they could work in a very good environment.
How important was it to have Kevin Magnussen, an experienced hand, step in after Nikita Mazepin’s departure?
It’s very important to have somebody experienced as we saw, because the car is good now. We need to get the best out of it, and it makes Mick’s job – I wouldn’t say easier – but at least he knows what the car is capable of and he needs to be capable of doing with it. So I think it’s a win-win for everybody in the team. The team now has got a driver, which was with us when we finished fifth in 2018. And for Mick, he’s now got a reference. He can learn out of it. And make his driving just progress quicker.
What have you seen of Mick Schumacher development so far this year?
I think he’s very interested, but the season is young so we need to give him a little bit more time to come up, because obviously now he’s confronted with a different reality. There’s Kevin, who is finishing fifth and eighth in the first two races, qualifying seventh and tenth, even with problems. So for Mick, it’s a reality check but it’s a good one because he’s got somebody who he can look up to and learn from.
Kevin has targeted a podium, though not on pure pace. Is it realistic?
I would say it’s realistic if you are in the right place at the right time, which means to be right behind the good teams so if they hit trouble or something we are there to pick up what they leftover. So we need to be always there. And it is realistic – we just need lady luck with us a little bit to achieve it. ■
AUTO FOCUS ON SINGAPORE
Formula One makes its long-awaited return to Singapore this October for the sport’s original night race, with a new seven-year deal to keep the celebrated event at Marina Bay until at least 2028, ensuring that the party continues for a whole new generation of fans. “After more than a decade of celebrating this spectacular event on the racing calendar we are looking forward to building on its success and working with Formula 1 as well as its partners to take the night race to greater heights,” said Mr Ong Beng Seng of Singapore GP.
The event is a hugely popular one for Australians, and its recent confirmation comes at the perfect time – with all of us looking to book our first international trips, and get back to having fun, after a challenging two years living with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And Singapore is the place to be in October, with the city-state pumping in Grand Prix week. While the event promises more than just the pinnacle of motorsport, with fantastic hospitality and local cuisine, lots to see and do around the circuit, and a history of bringing in the hottest music acts.
In previous years, we’ve seen acts like The Killers, Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris, Ariana Grande, Queen + Adam Lambert, Imagine Dragons, Bon Jovi, Pharrell Williams and more, and 2019 saw a gigantic line-up with Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani and Swedish House Mafia topping the bill. Beyond the track, Singapore is a dream to get around and the city-state is world-renowned for its cuisine, celebrating its Malay, Indian and Chinese heritage. You cannot go wrong, whether you’re booking five-star or budget, and all with just a seven-hour flight from Sydney or Melbourne, or five from Perth. Go for it!
The Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2022 will be held from September 30 to October 2. For more information go to singaporegp.sg
By STEWART BELL
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