Haas’ Guenther Steiner: “We had a run-in between the two drivers but they cleared the air about it”

Guenther Steiner says the Uralkali Haas F1 Team drivers cleared the air after their latest tangle during the Italian Grand Prix, and the team are making progress with both drivers in a bid to ease tension between them.

Nikita Mazepin attempted an overtake on Mick Schumacher at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza only to collide with his team-mate, with the German being spun around by the incident just after the race resumed following the safety car caused by the crash between championship rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Schumacher ultimately finished fifteenth on Sunday, while Mazepin’s race was over on lap forty-two with a suspected engine problem that saw him stop on the exit of the Ascari chicane and cause a brief virtual safety car period to allow his car to be recovered to safety by the marshals.

Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says talks between the two drivers after the race were positive, and he hopes the issues that have been simmering between them can disappear as they bid to move the team forward across the remaining races of the 2021 season.

“A pretty exciting race for us in all aspects with all that went on,” said Steiner.  “Obviously, again we had a run-in between the two drivers but they cleared the air about it.

“What was said was said and they are good. We’re making progress on that side and hopefully we can keep it like this. I think our two guys learned from the last races, now try to move on and try to take onboard the suggestions that we as a team give them and hopefully we have less of this coming in the future, even if today it happened.

“If you are clear about it, it’s good, it’s part of learning and fortunately the car was not badly damaged.”