Haas’ Guenther Steiner: “It wasn’t the result we hoped for today”

Guenther Steiner says the Haas F1 Team will need to avoid mistakes during Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course if they are to be in any position to fight for points.

Mick Schumacher will start fifteenth after making it into Q2 during Saturday’s Qualifying session, but team-mate Kevin Magnussen will start only eighteenth after finding himself on the wrong side of the cut off time in Q1.

Haas have not scored points since both drivers broke into the top ten in July’s Austrian Grand Prix, and as a result, they are now eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, level on points with ninth placed Scuderia AlphaTauri and three points behind the seventh placed Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team.

The weather conditions at Suzuka on Sunday are forecasted to be mixed, with rain a possibility either before or during the Grand Prix.  And Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, reckons it will take a mistake-free afternoon from the team to bring themselves into contention for the top ten, particularly with their grid positions being far from ideal.

“It wasn’t the result we hoped for today,” said Steiner on Saturday at Suzuka.  “Kevin went out in Q1 which was pretty disappointing, and Mick made it into Q2 but he couldn’t better his time from Q1.

“We start where we start tomorrow but there could be mixed conditions and maybe we can make something out of it. We just need to make sure we are not making any mistakes.”