AUSTIN — Haas arrived in Austin hoping to placed on a very good efficiency for his or her followers of their house race, the US Grand Prix.
Up to now, so good.
Kevin Magnussen completed seventh, and Nico Hülkenberg got here in behind him in eighth, giving Haas a double-points consequence within the F1 Dash Race right here on the Formulation 1 United States Grand Prix.
The consequence additionally noticed Haas pull even with Visa Money App RB F1 group with 34 factors on the season, placing Haas into sixth place within the Constructors’ Championship on the 12 months as a consequence of a tiebreaker, a pair of sixth-place outcomes from Hülkenberg earlier within the 12 months.
The group got here to Austin optimistic {that a} set of upgrades would show helpful down the closing stretch, and the consequence right here within the F1 Dash Race would point out that the brand new bundle is working. Nonetheless, following the F1 Dash Race in response to a query from SB Nation, Hülkenberg famous that Magnussen was not utilizing the upgraded bundle but, and even with out it, each vehicles had been sturdy.
“I imply it’s very constructive, clearly, to attain with each vehicles. However you see even not the upgraded automobile that Kevin drove goes fairly sturdy as properly. So, I don’t suppose it’s a giant issue,” mentioned Hülkenberg. “However we glance aggressive, so hopefully we will proceed that development.”
Now the group faces a captivating determination, whether or not to put in the upgraded bundle on Magnussen’s automobile — and have him head into qualifying with out having an opportunity to check the brand new elements — or to maintain issues as they’re.
Magnussen appeared of a cut up thoughts when talking with the media, together with SB Nation, following the F1 Dash Race.
“That’s the plan [to switch to the new specification],” mentioned Magnussen. “However I feel that will probably be conversations after the race. We assume that the improve is healthier and the info is supporting that. However it’s nonetheless form of a bit uncomfortable altering your automobile fully after two good periods like this.”
Magnussen was then requested how robust it could be to enter qualifying later at present with the upgraded bundle, and the driving force outlined the tough stability he would face.
“Even when you’ve got extra downforce with the upgraded automobile, you may fall out of your stability window, and going straight into qualifying, that’s not nice.
“So it’s a little bit of a threat I’d say, however we would like that additional downforce and for the reason that information is supporting that, I feel now we have to.”
Haas has little time to have fun this double-points consequence, and even much less time to decide relating to Magnussen’s VF-24, earlier than Qualifying for the US will get underway in slightly below three hours.