Haas dreams of podium: 'Sitting at top of midfield'

The Haas team is looking forward to the Australian Grand Prix. Team boss Guenther Steiner and drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen have their goal clearly in mind: to perform. Although Kevin Magnussen dares to dream a little further, he shares in a press release from the US team.

Guenther Steiner travels to Melbourne with a good feeling. "This year we started off with a clear target in mind to better our position in the Constructors’ Championship from last year. Obviously, we didn’t score in Bahrain but as we all found out there are four very strong teams now in Formula 1 and the points that are up for grabs are not many. In Bahrain, we didn’t score but now we’ve scored one point in Saudi Arabia, and it was done pretty well."

'Haas at the top of the midfield'

Whether the team manages to repeat last weekend's performance remains to be seen. "As we’ve discussed, there are only a few points available for the midfield teams and everyone is in that midfield, from P6 down it’s all midfield, there is nobody behind. We must take every opportunity. I think we are in the midfield, the upper end of it, but every race could see a change where each team is. The only thing to do at the moment is to work hard and try not to make mistakes because they will cost dearly."

Magnussen on the podium?

In 2014, Kevin Magnussen graced his Formula 1 debut in Melbourne with a podium finish. "A podium would mean so much more now than it did then for me," the Dane says. Back then, Magnussen demanded nothing else. Now, at Haas, it would be a dream come true. "I’m dreaming, hoping and working towards it – but it’s not something we can expect, so it would mean a million times more than it would back then."

'Hulkenback'

Nico Hulkenberg last raced in the land of the kangaroos in 2019. Since then, the track has changed slightly. "The track has been modified slightly since I raced there last in 2019, they’ve opened up some of the corners, so I think it’s much more high-speed now." says the German. The Formula 1 calendar has more and more street circuits. The Haas driver is not sad about that. "I think generally in Formula 1 we have a good mixture of old-school and new modern tracks. Street circuits versus hybrid ones so honestly, I think we’re in a good place." he says.