Haas’ Guenther Steiner: “We battled all year long through a rollercoaster of ups and downs”

Guenther Steiner says the Haas F1 Team achieved their aim at finishing eighth in the Constructors’ Championship at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday, and the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season was one of many ups and downs for the team.

Neither Mick Schumacher nor Kevin Magnussen were in contention for the points in the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but the failure for either Pierre Gasly or Yuki Tsunoda to score at least two points for Scuderia AlphaTauri meant Haas secured eighth ahead of their Faenza-based rivals.

After two very lean years fighting at the back, Haas adapted to the new regulations well in 2022 and were able to score thirty-seven points, with Magnussen’s fifth place in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix their best result.  They also scored points with both drivers in consecutive races in Great Britain and Austria.

Perhaps the biggest high point came in the São Paulo Grand Prix when Magnussen secured his maiden pole position, and Steiner, the Team Principal at Haas, says the aim next year is now build on what they have achieved in 2022 and move even further up in the Constructors’ Championship.

“We finished the Constructors’ Championship in P8 which this morning was the objective,” Steiner said after Sunday’s Grand Prix.  

“That’s what we did, we battled all year long through a rollercoaster of ups and downs but in the end, we ended up going forward in the championship which is important and the aim for next year is to make the next step.

“The race today was not what we wanted but finishing eighth overshadowed everything.”