Haas still has Silverstone incident 'in the back of his mind'

Between the turpitudes linked to Rich Energy, the lack of results from Haas F1 Team this season, and the obvious inability to Romain Grosjean et Kevin Magnussen to maintain a safe distance between them on the track, Guenther Steiner has his work cut out for him. 

Two weeks ago, the two VF-19s touched each other on the first lap of the British GP before pitifully abandoning a few laps later. It is impossible in these conditions for the American team to compare the two aerodynamic packages used in the United Kingdom – that of Melbourne for Grosjean, the latest for his Danish colleague. 

Furious, Steiner did not fail to blow his two riders. 10 days after the events, the Italian manager admits that he has not yet digested the incident. 

« I think they got the message at Silverstone, declared Steiner in the Hockenheim paddock where F1 is stopping off this weekend. I still have it in my throat. It didn't happen. Usually, I can put an end to this kind of incident quite easily, but not here. After the Barcelona touch-ins we had a frank and clear discussion about what the limits were and it didn't seem to have had any effect. It's disappointing. 

We are in trouble this year and we have no right to waste these opportunities to accumulate data. I'm not going to tell you that we would have had a big result but the car seemed much more competitive on the long runs than in the qualifying configuration. Our current championship position does not reflect our intrinsic competitiveness. Our level of performance varies greatly from one weekend to the next. And as soon as there is a clearing, we find a way to make it difficult for ourselves in one way or another. It's frustrating ». 

This is not the first time that Grosjean and Magnussen have quarreled on the track. The previous skirmish went back no further than Spain where the Dane had shoehorned his teammate at the end of the race before defending his position in a more than robust manner, with several key contacts.

Asked if he was really convinced that his words had any impact on his pilots, Steiner responded in a joking tone... without seeming to laugh.

« You know what I’m capable of; I can do a lot, he said. They need to understand what the situation of the stable is at the moment. They did not disappoint me personally: they disappointed all members of the team ». 

In Germany, Haas will continue its evaluations between the chassis used in Australia and that equipped with the developments made during the first half of the season. Hoping that this analysis work does not stop abruptly after five small turns...