MoneyGram Haas F1 Team drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished 17th and 18th respectively at the Italian Grand Prix, Round 15 of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Hulkenberg lined up from 13th place on the grid on Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires while Magnussen started 19th on the White hard compound. However there were multiple formation laps due to Yuki Tsunoda stopping his AlphaTauri before the time taken to retrieve the stricken car triggered a 20-minute delay.
Hulkenberg gained positions off the line to briefly run inside the top 10 before coming in on lap 14 to change onto hard tires. Another stop followed on lap 40, taking on medium tires, and Hulkenberg greeted the checkered flag in 17th position. Magnussen made a stop on lap 13 and made adjustments to the front wing flap angle after struggles in the first stint. Magnussen re-joined the action on mediums and took on another batch of the same compound when he made a second stop in lap 33. Magnussen followed Hulkenberg home to classify 18th overall.
Up front Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen registered a record-breaking tenth successive grand prix victory, ahead of teammate Sergio Perez and Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Kevin Magnussen:
“It was probably the worst race as we just had no pace at all, the tires were falling apart and there was no balance. We have a steep hill to climb. It’s really confusing though because in FP3 we were P7, and today we were the slowest by a big margin. There was just no pace – we need to turn this ship around.”
Nico Hulkenberg:
“The start was pretty much the only positive to be honest, the only bit of fun, after that very hard work. We had no performance, no balance and not good tire management or life, so it was pretty hard work out there. Frankly, we were far from points-worthy this weekend. I think in Zandvoort we had made some progress, but it was somehow hidden by race circumstances, but I feel the pace was heading in the right direction. Zandvoort is high-downforce, Singapore is high-downforce, so I feel and hope that things will get back to normal and we can at least be competitive in the midfield.”
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal:
“There’s not a lot to say except the car is just not fast enough. You always try to do your best, but the car has no performance and that’s where you end up when you cannot compete.”
Next Up:
Round 16 of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship is the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Circuit. Practice – Friday September 15. Qualifying – Saturday September 16. Race – Sunday September 17.
Haas F1 Team PR
