Haas F1 Team had one of their best qualifying performances of the year in qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix, with drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean taking seventh and tenth respectively.
Haas, who are currently eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, have had a turbulent year so far, with Grosjean failing to score any points and Magnussen facing the ire of many drivers on the grid. Despite these difficulties both drivers were able to put in strong performances, with both making it through to the top ten shootout.
Commenting on both his performance in qualifying and his chances in the race, Magnussen said that seventh is ‘the best you can hope for‘ if you’re a driver in a car that does not come from Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport, Scuderia Ferrari or Aston Martin Red Bull Racing.
“It was a really good qualifying. P7 for us is really pole position – it’s the best you can hope for if you’re not in a Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull,” said Magnussen. “I’m really happy with that.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow and, hopefully, we can bring home some good points. It’s a good position to start, and again, P7 is probably the best we can hope for if everyone finishes. It’s still a very tight battle, but I think our car is strong, and we can be happy with where we are at the moment.
“We need to keep up the levels, continue to develop, and keep putting stuff on the car.”
Romain Grosjean on the other hand said that whilst he was happy for the team, he wasn’t so happy about his own starting position.
“Pretty good qualifying for the team – both cars in the top-10,” said the Frenchman. “Obviously, Q3 could’ve been better and I’m not super happy to start P10 but, in general, I think we’re in a good position for the race and I’m happy for the team.”
Guenther Steiner said that, as both cars had qualified in the top ten, two top ten finishes in the race had to be the goal.
“A very good day today. Finishing seventh and tenth in qualifying is a very good position for tomorrow,” said the team principal. “So, we just have to bring it home.
“That’s our aim – get two cars in the top-10.”
