After seeing both cars qualify inside the top ten in each of the opening three races of 2019, the Haas F1 Team struggled for performance during Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Kevin Magnussen the only driver to advance out of Q1.
Despite making it into Q2 unlike team-mate Romain Grosjean, Magnussen was the slowest of those who set a time in fourteenth, although he profits from Antonio Giovinazzi’s penalty to move up to thirteenth on the grid for Sunday’s race at the Baku City Circuit.
Despite making a mistake on his final run that saw him go up the escape road at turn two, Magnussen admitted Haas were just not fast enough during the session, and even if he had managed to complete the lap unscathed he doubted he could have done anything good enough to make it into the top ten.
“Obviously it wasn’t the best qualifying for us – just not really fast enough today,” said Magnussen. “It wasn’t a perfect Q2 either. I was overtaken just before the last corner to start the lap, so I was right behind the Renault and in its dirty air, I locked up unfortunately.
“I didn’t get a last go at setting a time. I needed a lot of lap time from that lap, but I don’t think it was really there.
“It’s slightly disappointing, but hopefully, well – the first two races we’ve been good in qualifying, then not so good in the races, hopefully it’s the other way around this weekend.”
