Haas F1 Team Principal, Guenther Steiner, has said he believes the team is getting faster every weekend, and that progress was made during the Portuguese Grand Prix despite the result.
Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin landed in 17th and 19th respectively at the last Grand Prix – Round 3 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, held at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Schumacher had an impressive stint in his VF-21 during the final laps of the race – getting around the Williams of Nicholas Latifi through the final stint – landing a successful overtake through turn three.
The skillful move ensured P17 for Schumacher and his third successive finish in all of his Formula 1 starts.
Mazepin found himself in P19 at the checkered flag behind the wheel of the second Haas.
Speaking about the team’s overall advancement this season so far, Guenther Steiner said;
“It was a weekend with progress.
“I know I keep on using the word progress, but that is what we need to make, and we’re doing it.
“The whole weekend was good in my opinion. When you sit there and you can’t get by Latifi, frustration sets in – and that’s a good thing as it means we could have more.
“In the end, Mick passed him, and that was good, but maybe we missed out on George (Russell) being on the radar if we’d passed Latifi earlier – but we take it step by step.”
Speaking about Mazpein, Steiner said he too is making progress week-in-week-out even though spectators at home may not see it.
“Nikita also made progress, as much as the result may not show it”, he said.
“We put him on a new set of tires just to give him more time to drive the car at the limit.
“With all the blue flags, there was a risk with his C1 tires that they’d cool down too much – then it would have been no fun to drive.
“He fell a bit back because of that but he completed the race once again. He’s making progress, he’s getting faster every weekend as well.”
Racing resumes this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix.
