Haas sails towards Canada in troubled waters

On board the ship Haas, water seems to continue to seep in from all sides. In Azerbaijan, the American team has just suffered its third retirement in 3 Grands Prix. Once again, Kevin Magnussen was betrayed by the mechanics of his car on the 33rd lap of the race. Cut short in his momentum, the Dane had no choice but to park his car as best he could on the Azeri track. “ I think the turbo just blew, it just happened suddenly », explains the 29-year-old pilot interviewed on the F1 Nation podcast.

With this new setback, it is difficult for Günther Steiner's teams to stay on course this season. However, the American team had a very promising start to the year. Having finished in the last places last season with no points on the clock, the arrival of Kévin Magnussen had breathed new life into the team.

For the inaugural Grand Prix of the 2022 financial year, the Dane finished in an astonishing 7th place. Nothing less was needed to once again shine the spotlight on Haas. The light found after spending a year outside the tub, Kevin Magnussen continued to surprise everyone with his car by achieving two 9th places in Saudi Arabia and then at Imola. These results were partly due to the leap forward made by all the teams based in Banbury.

A good start to the year for Haas… then the slump

Except that the beautiful story was ultimately only ephemeral. While everything was looking good for Haas, despite the absence of a points Mick Schumacher, a cog in the chain jumped and the dynamic ended. It was in Miami that the American team experienced its first setback with the retirement of Kevin Magnussen and the 15th place of the son of the seven-time world champion. The Dane hit Lance stroll during the race and decided to enter the pits on the last lap. In just one weekend, Haas had returned to his old demons and the two white cars were once again stuck at the back of the grid. 

Concerns then reappeared but the 15 points gleaned by Kevin Magnussen were enough until then to dispel them. Two weeks after this American trip, another type of danger began to arise in front of the Haas ship. Since its arrival in the paddock, the team has placed its trust in the Team to provide it with its power units. Until the Miami Grand Prix, reliability had not been a Ferrari flaw. But in Catalonia, Charles Leclerc then in the lead saw his race come to an abrupt end due to a mechanical failure.  

CHARLES LECLERC IN SLOW MOTION! 😱

The Ferrari driver loses power, probably a turbo problem. The Monegasque must give up 😩#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 #F1

▶ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/F4Lg4HzEVh

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) May 22, 2022

Haas seemed to have fallen through the cracks but it was only a matter of time before they too were caught in the eye of the storm. In the Principality, Kevin Magnussen suffered the same fate as the Monegasque in Catalonia. On the 24th lap, the Dane stopped definitively in the garage because of his engine. A crossed destiny which was repeated again this weekend in Azerbaijan to the great misfortune of Günther Steiner's teams.

Mick Schumacher's first points eagerly awaited

In addition to the mechanical incidents, Mick Schumacher still cannot complete his mission in Formula 1. The German is still looking for his first points. In the Windy City, the champion of Formula 2 2020 was still far from the top 10. As captain, Günther Steiner preferred drink the glass half full. " As I always say, our car is good enough to get into the points, it just has to happen. Kevin fought and was in the fight (to finish in the top 10) and Mick also gave a solid effort. » 

Very big water leak on Mick Schumacher's Haas! 💦#AzerbaijanGP🇦🇿 | ▶️ https://t.co/7plkVVV12v pic.twitter.com/nOeYevRMIz

— CANAL+ F1® (@CanalplusF1) June 10, 2022

But the reality is there, for 4 Grands Prix, Haas has not scored a single point. Mick Schumacher is still not completely comfortable at the wheel of his car and the team is stalling again. So to bail out the Haas ship, Günter Steiner will have to count on the help of all the teams if he wants to get back on the right path before the Canadian Grand Prix. A circuit of which the Italian will not necessarily keep good memories. In 2019, Romain Grosjean had finished the race in 14th position while Kevin Magnussen crossed the finish line in 17th place.

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