Haas F1 Evaluates its Qualifications in Canada
The drivers of the Haas F1 team, Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, qualified in 14th and 19th place respectively for the Canadian Grand Prix. This result was far from what the American team had hoped for, expecting to be more competitive in Montreal alongside their partner Ferrari.
“There was no traffic for me today, which was good,” Kevin Magnussen expressed. “We thought the rain was coming in Q2, so we went out with a new set of tires at the beginning, which means that if the rain didn’t come, it wouldn’t be great because with the track evolving, you wouldn’t have new tires for the end.”
“Unfortunately, the rain didn’t come, so the lap I did on my first run was really good, considering the choices we made, I think it was the best we could do.”
“I am slightly more optimistic for the race, the pace on long runs seemed okay, even though it was on dry, so let’s see what the weather has in store for us tomorrow, we should be in contention for points no matter what.”
Eliminated in Q1, Hulkenberg revealed that he had a technical issue. He will gain a position and be classified 18th on the grid after the five-place penalty applied to Esteban Ocon, carried over from the Monaco Grand Prix.
“I think we left a little late, we changed the rear wing before qualifying because I wasn’t happy with the car all weekend and I had an issue with the rear wing not working as it should, so we decided to change it before qualifying.”
“This meant that our entire running plan was a bit shifted, so we were on the back foot with the lap times, and it became hectic. Towards the end, I also had someone blocking me, parked at the last chicane, so all of this made things a bit challenging.”
In conclusion, Haas F1 faced unexpected challenges during the qualifying session in Canada, but both drivers remain optimistic about their performance in the upcoming race. Stay tuned for more updates on their progress.