Tire eater Haas: Why Hungary could become the absolute endurance test

(Motorsport-Complete.com) – The Haas Method 1 crew continues to be on the lookout for good tempo in race trim. Not solely was the final pace with loads of gas not there previously Grands Prix, however tire put on is all the time an enormous difficulty with the VF-23.

The American crew doesn’t have excessive hopes for the race in Budapest, however the tide might flip for Haas after the summer season break in Zandvoort: “In fact, the final two races have been robust for us, however we now have to suppose forward,” says crew boss Gunther Steiner.

“In racing, it is all the time the case that as a substitute of going ahead, everybody else goes ahead and also you’re treading water. The one factor we will and can do is figure exhausting with the entire crew and to do no matter we will to maneuver ahead.”

“It’s going to take some time, however we have already got some issues in thoughts that we need to implement after the summer season races to unravel our issues. We now have to maintain our heads up, which we are going to do, and maintain going.”

Tire killer Hungaroring: Haas with no probability in Budapest?

Nonetheless, the Hungaroring might initially be absolutely the acid check for the tire eater Haas. 30 levels Celsius are predicted for the race on Sunday, and Pirelli has additionally chosen the C3 to C5 tires one degree softer than final yr and thus the softest vary ever.

As well as, a brand new qualifying format comes into play, wherein the groups must drive the exhausting tires in Q1, the medium ones in Q2 and the smooth ones in Q3. In consequence, every crew will solely have 11 units of tires for your entire weekend as a substitute of the standard 13. Three stops within the race are due to this fact seemingly and the groups have to think twice about when to make use of which tires.

At Haas, nevertheless, it’s suspected that the big tire put on solely happens on routes with exhausting braking zones and that the tires warmth up and put on out considerably because of the braking temperature. Nonetheless, Budapest is just not precisely identified for a lot of exhausting braking zones.

Hulkenberg doesn’t count on a fast resolution

“I feel we’ll Hungary with what we all know and we additionally know that we nonetheless have extra to be taught,” provides Steiner. “One of the best ways to study a race automotive is to drive it and the alternatives to drive it aren’t very huge nowadays as a result of there are not any assessments, so Friday follow might be good for us.”

“We expect we all know the place our major issues are and we’re engaged on options, however we nonetheless must be taught and each little bit you be taught makes you higher in the long term.”

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen agrees: “I feel we clearly have issues being aggressive on Sunday. We will usually be aggressive on Saturday in qualifying if we solely must do one lap on the tires with little gas, however on Sunday we will it is a totally different story.”

“We’re working very exhausting to search out the basis trigger and discover options. It is a collective effort and everyone seems to be working very exhausting. I feel with all of the expertise we now have within the crew, I am very assured that we will do the remedy issues.”

Teammate Nico Hülkenberg, who was in a position to rating 9 of the eleven Haas season factors, doesn’t consider in a fast turnaround: “In fact we’re working flat out on the weak factors and attempting to repair them. These issues can solely be solved if everybody works intently collectively, and that’s precisely what we’re doing. It is probably not a short-term resolution, however we’re assured that we’ll get the issues underneath management.”