Günther Steiner: “All-in-all we’re making good progress in learning about the car”

Haas F1 Team Principal Günther Steiner said that the team made steps forward during Friday running at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, having completed eighty-seven laps across the sessions. 

Steiner said that the focus of Free Practice One was to gain more knowledge on VF-23 and build off the work they put into pre-season testing last week, which was also held at Bahrain International Circuit. 

Nico Hülkenberg’s fastest lap in the first session placed him in fourteenth, while Kevin Magnussen clocked in six tenths ahead to take seventh. 

“Everything we learned at the test, today we could use. For FP1 we went out and made some set-up changes while continuing to learn.”

Free Practice Two gave the team the opportunity to run in the cooler, evening conditions that will be mirrored in qualifying. Hülkenberg landed in fifth place on the timing sheets while Magnussen, relegated to the garage for most of the session due to set-up changes, finished in sixteenth. 

“In FP2, which is obviously closer to the conditions we’ll have in qualifying, Nico did a very good job and Kevin worked around some further set-up changes, and I think there is more to come from him tomorrow.”

Steiner feels optimistic about the team’s position going into Saturday qualifying, having gained considerable knowledge on their brand-new car, which is proving to be quite reliable.

“Hopefully it will be a good day, but all-in-all we’re making good progress in learning about the car – the car is very reliable, which is a plus.”

Credit: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images / Haas F1 Team