F1 news outlets have spoken extensively about the latest VF-23 updates, but Haas team principal Guenther Steiner is unsure of their impact.
The last eighteen months serve as a valuable case study into Haas F1’s typical mid-season trajectory. Kevin Magnussen made a sensational comeback at Bahrain last year, finishing P5 in a genuinely competitive car. This speed was validated in the subsequent events, with the Danish driver later securing points in Jeddah and Imola.
Since then, the American team has continued to plummet. The main symptom is a lack of mid-season development, but the root cause is far more critical. A lack of investment – which is unlikely to increase anytime soon – means Haas doesn’t have the capacity to improve meaningfully. Perhaps the biggest evidence of this limitation was the Italian GP, where they were the only team to arrive at Monza without a circuit-specific rear wing.
In some ways, Guenther Steiner’s team has done well to cling onto P9 in the standings. Impressive drives from Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen have optimised the rare occasions where the VF-23 has been capable of points. Unfortunately for this experienced duo, extreme tyre degradation makes it difficult to fight for points on Sundays.
Impact of upgrades uncertain
Speaking after the American GP, where Haas debuted their only upgrades of 2023, Steiner was transparent about the situation:
“It was a tough race, but obviously it was the right decision to start from the pitlane with the modifications to the downforce level.
“We learned quite a bit, and hopefully, we can look into the data and get a little bit better in Mexico.
“It’s not a magic solution that we’ve got now, but some of the comments from Kevin and Nico were encouraging. So let’s hope we can get closer to what is possible with the car in Mexico.”
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Short-term hopes, long-term concerns
In fairness, there were some signs of encouragement shown by the VF-23. Considering their pitlane start, Hulkenberg and Magnussen were able to compete respectably against other lower-midfield teams. After post-race disqualifications, Hulkenberg finished just shy of the points – which could have been attainable with a regular grid start.
From this perspective, Haas might compete further up the field this weekend in Mexico. Tyre wear was better than in most of 2023, although more races will be necessary to make any conclusions.
Approaching the situation with a more long-term lens, the US GP was only a slight boost for the team. Speaking frankly, the current sluggishness of Haas’ development rate is not sustainable. Even with the budget cap, there is a clear gap compared to other teams on the field. This is something Guenther Steiner has admitted in interviews with various F1 news outlets – when discussing the situation at Haas.
Without a substantial financial injection, Haas will find themselves increasingly outgunned in the future.
