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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says that his team needs luck on its side if it is to achieve its maiden podium finish in 2019.
The American squad enters its fourth year in F1 this year, and will be hoping to continue the momentum of a strong 2018 campaign that saw it finish fifth in the constructors' standings, just losing out on the 'best of the rest' spot to Renault.
Haas' best finish so far in its F1 career is a fourth place, which it achieved last season in Austria. However, Steiner conceded that the dream of claiming a top three finish would need a lot of luck.
“That is a dream,” said Italian. “If we could make it that would be nice. I would say last year in Baku without the accident we could have got close to it.
“So hopefully it is our season as last year luck was not a lot on our side. Maybe it turns and we get lucky. But if everything goes normal nobody can reach the podium except for the top three teams.
“Sometimes there are things happening in a race where you can make it, and if you are there and about after the three big teams, you can pick it up.”
Each year in the turbo hybrid era, at least one 'midfield' team has bagged a podium finish. Steiner says to achieve that feat, Haas must always be in fourth place to capitalise on any errors from the regular podium finishers.
“You need to be there all the time,” he said. “You need to be consistently in that fourth spot as a team to get to the podium.”
Grand Prix of Belgium
C. Sainz jr
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Replies (2)
Login to replyajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
They could have gotten that podium last year, but alas, they have Magnussen and Grosjean as drivers. I think they lost their chance. This year they won't be on top of the midfield by sheer performance in spite of their drivers
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
I dunno, it's still possible. But it'll be much harder this year for sure, looking at how close it is. As you said before, generally you could see some kinda pattern at the end of the testing of where the cars would line up, but this year it is all so scrambled up and close together than it's only really sure that Merc' and Ferrari will be the front and Williams will be the bum.