F1 News: Kevin Magnussen still believes Haas can be competitive in 2024, despite a consistently downward trend in recent months.
Guenther Steiner’s personnel have stomached a difficult season, finishing 10th in the standings for the second time in three years. After a somewhat encouraging start to the year, Haas quickly fell away from their rivals.
Even with the budget cap and limitation to wind tunnel runs, the American team is lacking in resources. This was evidenced most painfully in Monza, where Nico Hulkenberg was critical of the team’s failure to bring a low-drag rear wing. They were the only team without this specification at the Italian GP.
Generally speaking, Hulkenberg has been the more critical Haas driver. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen, continues to express a positive outlook ahead of 2024. The 31-year-old explains why a negative approach is unhelpful:
“We have to stick together and make a comeback, like we have done in the past,” he explained after the season finale.
“This team has already shown great potential, and it’s time for us to consistently achieve our goals.
“Because I believe that the talent and potential are very big in this team.”
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Magnussen believes Haas can recover
Perhaps Magnussen’s past success with the team is the root of his optimism. After all, the Dane enjoyed a series of competitive cars in 2017 and 2018 – two seasons where Haas consistently fought for points.
However, with the field becoming increasingly competitive, Haas F1 continue to struggle. In theory, Guenther Steiner’s squad could benefit from the progress at Ferrari. Haas might benefit if the Italian outfit takes a step forward over winter.
Still, expecting the Maranello team to drag Haas up the field is hardly a sustainable model. Aside from perhaps AlphaTauri, the outfits in Formula 1 are becoming increasingly independent. Even customer teams like McLaren and Aston Martin show tremendous speed and potential.
Therefore, whether via more investment or other means, F1’s sole American team must improve its development capacity. Even with the budget cap, McLaren and AlphaTauri have proven that mid-season updates can be brutally effective.
If not, they risk falling back again in 2024 – regardless of how strongly they begin the season.
