Günther Steiner: Top three teams will remain out of reach

With the change in technical regulations, the question arose before the start of the season about a potential upheaval in the hierarchy in F1.

The first three races already contested have demonstrated that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull still constituted the three major forces in the peloton, the Team however, making a clear leap forward in terms of performance and now playing at the level of the Silver Arrows, entrusted in 2017 to Lewis Hamilton et Valtteri Bottas.

A top 3 which should maintain its advantage over the rest of the teams according to Günther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team.

“There is a significant gap with the big three teams: take the qualifying times, multiply the gap by the number of laps of the race and there you are. Will this change? I hope so, but I fear it will stay like this for the whole season. » admits Steiner on the F1 website.

A major development at Haas in Barcelona

For Haas' second year in the discipline, Günther Steiner remains confident in the ability of the Kannapolis (North Carolina) structure to progress. “I don't know what the other teams are doing, but we have a good plan, comments the manager on the level of development expected for 2017.

In reality, I think we are close to our mid-grid opponents in terms of quantity, but you have to make sure the quality follows as well.

We will have a significant upgrade for Barcelona and the next step is still in the wind tunnel! Once we find the possible gains, we will start producing. Our schedule is good. We will bring new parts to other races. »

If Haas F1 Team surprised last year with 18 points scored in the first three races thanks to Romain Grosjean, the American team is behind on this progress table in 2017 with only eight units scored, four by Magnussen in China and four by Grosjean in Bahrain.