Guenther Steiner admitted it was unfortunate that Kevin Magnussen was eliminated in a first lap crash with Daniel Ricciardo during Sunday’s São Paulo Grand Prix as it ended a positive weekend for the Dane.
Magnussen had started from his and the Haas F1 Team’s first pole position during Saturday’s Sprint race, and although he fell to eighth in that race against the more regular front-running drivers, the team still had hopes of scoring points on Sunday.
However, the turn eight incident with McLaren F1 Team’s Ricciardo ended that chance, and Steiner was a disappointing way for Magnussen’s weekend to conclude.
“Unfortunately no points for us today,” said Steiner. “Kevin’s race finished on Lap 1 when he was hit by Ricciardo and there was no way to get back out on the track, the car was destroyed.”
Mick Schumacher finished outside the points in thirteenth in the second Haas, and Steiner admitted that despite the best efforts of the German, there was just too much for him to do to contend for points, particularly as he struggled with tyre degradation.
“Mick battled fiercely in the race but he just couldn’t make up the positions he was behind,” Steiner said.
Despite a pointless Sunday, Haas still remain eighth in the Constructors’ Championship heading into the season finale next weekend in Abu Dhabi, with the American outfit sitting two points clear of Scuderia AlphaTauri.
And Steiner says the team will be doing everything they can to return to the points once more and end the season on a high point and ahead of AlphaTauri in the standings.
“We now head to the Abu Dhabi where we will give it our all like we have done all season long,” he insisted.