The 23rd and final round of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship takes MoneyGram Haas F1 Team to the Yas Marina Circuit, for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s 2023 journey has taken it around the world, completing 5357 laps (27,335km) of some of the finest circuits aboard the VF-23, with veteran pairing Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg combining to rack up 12 points. Now, entering the final round, the ambition is to finish the championship season on a positive note and sign off from 2023 on a strong footing.
The United Arab Emirates’ Abu Dhabi became part of Formula 1’s schedule in 2009, on the man-made Yas Island, and has established itself as the traditional finale venue. World Champions have been crowned at Yas Marina in 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2021 in nail-biting showdowns that attracted acclaim and courted controversy.
The 5.2km circuit features 16 corners, two lengthy straights, and several slow- and medium-speed corners. It underwent a partial redesign in 2021, with the tweaks lauded by drivers, in particular the updated sweeper at Turn 9, which replaced a fiddly and languid chicane.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team will welcome back Ferrari Driver Academy member Oliver Bearman for his second Free Practice 1 outing of the season. Multiple Formula 2 race winner Bearman first drove the VF-23 during the corresponding 60-minute session in Mexico City, and his run on Friday will fulfil the team’s obligation to run a rookie driver during two practices in 2023.
Guenther Steiner – Team Principal:
We head to the season finale of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. How would you summarize the season, sharing both your favorite and most challenging moments of the year?
“I would say the start of the season was pretty good, it was looking promising. Getting Nico in the team, we got exactly what we wanted with his experience, but we hit a wall with the development of the car, we couldn’t find further performance and others did. We took a step back so hopefully we can take a step forward next year. The highlight was Nico scoring points in Australia after three years away as a full-time Formula 1 driver.”
Next week there’s a post-season test, where both Pietro Fittipaldi and Oliver Bearman will get behind the wheel of the VF-23. What was the rationale behind that?
“We’ll have Pietro in the tire test car as it’s a good opportunity for us in case we need him next year as a reserve driver. There are no new tires for next year, and our current drivers have been testing tires enough with 22 races, so we’ll put Pietro in one car, which leaves the rookie driver test seat available. Ollie did a good job in FP1, so we said let’s put him in to give him more experience.”
There are only a few days left before the paddock enters the winter break for some well-earned rest. What does your off-season look like – how much time off to unwind can you have before getting back to work ahead of the new season?
“This year, I don’t think there will be any unwinding because we need to work hard to get back to our form and get our competitiveness back to where we want it to be. There’s a lot of work to be done and I need to focus to get ready for next season, to be in a better position than we were this season. Now, we’re only looking forward. What’s happened, we don’t forget it, but we’ve learned enough, and it’s wide open for next year.”
Kevin Magnussen:
We head to the season finale of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This is the team’s final chance of scoring points this season, does this track’s characteristics suit the VF-23, and how have you previously fared at the Yas Marina Circuit?
“Abu Dhabi is the end of a long season for us, and I think we had some expectations for this year that we didn’t fulfil. I think the positive of this year was although we’ve been fighting in an uncompetitive car, we’ve always done the best we could, and we’ll be doing that at the last race in Abu Dhabi, but I’m quite happy to get to the end of the year.”
There’s a tradition among some team members that at the end of each event, we share our high and low moment of the week. Looking back, can you share your favorite and most challenging moment of this season?
“The highlight is always the good results. The three times I’ve scored points were very satisfying because we really earned those points. It hasn’t been a satisfying amount of points that we’ve scored but when you’ve been struggling, when you get there, it’s so much more satisfying. Sometimes you score a point, and you don’t really care because you didn’t maximize the potential and other times, you celebrate like a win because it’s been tough to earn.”
It’s been a long season for the team, do you have a message to those who have worked tirelessly throughout this year?
“The team in the garage always deserve an extra shoutout because they really work their butts off in all different types of conditions. Whether it’s 100 degrees outside, day or night, if they have to do a big set-up change or repair the car after a crash, they can’t take a break and they work tirelessly.”
There are only a few days left before the paddock enters into the winter break for some well-earned rest. What does your off-season look like – how much time off to unwind can you have before getting back into the groove of intense training ahead of pre-season testing?
“Over the winter I’m going to enjoy just having a consistent schedule. Getting into training, the first thing I’m going to do when I’m back home is starting the training camp with my trainer. I’m looking forward to it, I’ve built a new gym in my house and it’s got everything I need, including a lot of CrossFit gear, so I’m going to gain 15 kilos of muscle for next year – I hope the car is lighter!”
Nico Hulkenberg:
We head to the season finale of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This is the team’s final chance of scoring points this season, what do you make of the Yas Marina Circuit and how have you fared previously?
“I’ve raced the old layout many times, but the circuit was modified, and I got to test the new version with Haas last year, but I haven’t raced around it yet. I’m looking forward to that, and looking forward to the final race in general, it brings about a nice vibe to the paddock.”
There’s a tradition among some team members that at the end of each event, we share our high and low moment. Looking back, can you share your favorite and most challenging moment of this season?
“It’s not over yet, so that could be a question for after the race! The high was definitely the result in Australia, and that race in general for me. The low, I’d have to pick between Monza or Sao Paulo.”
It’s been a long season for the team, do you want to give a shoutout to those who have worked tirelessly throughout this year?
“It’s been a long season for everyone, and the team have been in good spirits throughout it all, so hats off to them. From the catering team who get to track first, our security crew who always have a smile on their face and of course the crew in the garage and back at our factories, I really hope everyone gets the chance to recharge their batteries and take some time to relax.”
There are only a few days left before the paddock enters into the winter break for some well-earned rest. What does your off-season look like – how much time off to unwind can you have before getting back into the groove of intense training ahead of pre-season testing?
“I’m looking forward to going home as I’ve been away for six weeks now since Austin. I want to see my friends and family and do some normal fun stuff, not thinking of a big beach holiday. I’ll pick up the training again around Christmas time.”
Haas F1 Team PR
