Kevin Magnussen says that Haas has suffered in recent times from “some unrealistic optimism” firstly of the yr, and he is blissful to see new crew boss Ayao Komatsu take a extra clear-eyed strategy to issues.
Komatsu took over as Haas F1 Workforce principal final month after Guenther Steiner’s contract was not renewed by crew proprietor Gene Haas, following the squad’s wood spoon efficiency in 2023.
It is the second time in three seasons that Haas have completed backside of the constructors standings. Komatsu has mentioned the crew will in all probability be backmarkers once more this season, at the very least within the opening races.
Magnussen felt such hard-headed pragmatism was a refreshing change, one which was much-needed if the crew had any hope of creating precise progress sooner or later.
“I believe in some years there was some unrealistic optimism going into seasons – and I’ve been affected by it as effectively,” the Danish driver acknowledged this week.
“Actually Ayao may be very clear that he doesn’t assume we’ve moved out of final yr’s place but,” Magnussen continued. “However he’s additionally clear in that he sees the event trajectory wanting so much stronger
“He’s truly optimistic that we are able to transfer ahead by way of this yr,” he added. “Expectations are low to start with, however excessive for the season as a complete.”
Magnussen mentioned that the rationale for it’s because the gaps in efficiency between groups and drivers was very small, that means {that a} comparatively tiny enchancment might rapidly increase a automobile up the grid previous its rivals.
© Haas F1 Workforce
“Your entire subject is so shut collectively,” he defined. “Final yr we utterly ran right into a wall by way of improvement, we couldn’t actually break that barrier till we shifted the idea. This yr is wanting so much higher.”
Talking on the official launch occasion for the brand new VF-24 chassis, Magnussen confirmed that he was on good phrases with the brand new boss. “I’ve a very good relationship with Ayao,” he mentioned.
“He’s been with the crew for eight years, because the starting in 2016, so I’ve labored very carefully with him ever since I got here to Haas in 2017.
“It’s been a giant change in our crew, after all, turning into crew principal,” Magnussen acknowledged. “It’s going to alter the dynamic and communication throughout the entire organisation.
© Haas F1 Workforce
“Ayao is an engineer, and he has an inexpensive quantity of engineering expertise with a Components 1 crew. Entering into that mindset on the helm of the crew goes to be very attention-grabbing.”
Magnussen’s crew mate Nico Hulkenberg obtained the chance to be first behind the wheel of the VF-24 this week in a shakedown outing Silverstone and gave it a very good report.
“I’ve seen the brand new automobile,” he mentioned. “We managed to wash up some issues. It does look higher, it’s an evolution.
“You naturally wish to do higher than the earlier yr, that’s regular,” Hulkenberg mentioned. “Hopefully the automobile will probably be a bit higher with the constraints than we discovered final yr.
© Haas F1 Workforce
“We did have a tough yr final yr, so we undoubtedly wish to enhance,” he mentioned. Final yr’s automobile was notoriously laborious on its tyres, that means any features in qualifying and early progress in a race rapidly haemorrhaged away.
“Particularly the race weak point we had final yr, that was one thing we have to and wish to get on prime of,” Hulkenberg admitted.
“However at this level of the yr, like yearly, you’re a bit at midnight as to the place you’re and the place you’re going to rank. We simply have to hold our heads down, hold working laborious, and keep targeted.”
The primary actual take a look at of the place Haas stands in 2024 will come at this week’s three day official pre-season take a look at at Bahrain, every week earlier than the primary Grand prix of the yr on the identical venue.
It’s going to be the primary time in its existence that Haas F1 has been out on observe with out Steiner on the helm, heaping quite a lot of weight on Komatsu shoulders to ship fast indicators of enchancment and ahead progress.
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