Despite Kevin Magnussen calling the Monaco Grand Prix ‘the most iconic race of the season’ his team principal Guenther Steiner is treating it as just another race, with the Haas F1 Team there just to score points.
Haas have scored nine points across the first five races of 2017, but are still seeking their first ever double points finish, and Steiner is hopeful of a top ten finish for one or both of his drivers this weekend.
Logistically, Monaco is a difficult weekend for everyone, with the distances between the pit garages and the rest of the paddock making it tricky, while on-track, Steiner knows a small mistake can have serious consequences.
“For me, Monaco is a race like all the others,” said Steiner. “We’re there to perform and score points. However, it’s always special due to the glitz and the glamour.
“The biggest difference with Monaco is the distance between everything. You have to walk a lot, so I would say it’s one of the most logistically challenging circuits. And during the race it’s quite intense, because if you make even a small mistake you can be in the wall.”
Steiner feels Saturday’s qualifying session will be perhaps the most important of the season, with track position key around a circuit notoriously difficult to overtake on.
“Overtaking is difficult too, so there is more pressure on Saturday during qualifying than there’s actually on Sunday, because by Sunday the positions are set and unless something special happens, you end up where you start,” said Steiner.
“The race is on Saturday in qualifying. Overtaking is almost impossible, so if nobody crashes or nothing eventful happens on track or during the pit stops, it can be very difficult. Strategy is key for this race. The only place you can overtake is in pit lane if you are close to somebody.”
