HAAS AND MAGNUSSEN RACED TO ‘PERFECTION’

Credit where it’s due, Kevin Magnussen had a solid weekend in Sochi and probably achieved as much as was possible given the current state of the Haas VF-20.

The speed really isn’t there, and Magnussen never managed to move out of the bottom five at any point during practice so it was so surprise when he was eliminated at the end of the first round of qualifying, putting him 18th on the grid and behind his team mate for the start of the race.

Fortunately that kept them both out of danger for the events of the opening lap and good race craft enabled Magnussen to leap up to ninth place by the time the safety car was scrambled.

Kevin Magnussen says Haas warranted a points reward for its display at Formula 1’s Russian Grand Prix.

Haas has endured a troubled campaign amid a lack of pace from its undeveloped VF-20 and has taken just one point across the opening 10 rounds.

Haas was once more on the back foot in qualifying, with the team slowest in qualifying, but Magnussen rose nine places on the opening lap alone to hold ninth spot.

Magnussen ran a Medium/Hard tyre strategy to record 12th position, equalling Haas’ second-best result of the campaign, having only narrowly missed out to Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi.

“We absolutely did the best we could,” said Magnussen.

“On a day like this the team just deserves points as we maximised it completely.

“We weren’t quick enough at all to be up there around the top 10. Our pace was to be down the back and we were running in the race for points almost all the race.

“It was a really good job by everyone, even though there’s nothing really to celebrate I think we still need to be satisfied by the job we’ve done and the progress we’re making operationally and also with the set-up of the car.

“I’m really happy. I got eight cars on the first lap so that was a really good one as well, and a lot of fun, and it was about hanging onto it after that.”

Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner added that “it was interesting because at least we are fighting for something, it’s exciting.

“You’re not just cruising around and trying to get to the end, you’re fighting for every little bit and that is what we need to do until we get better with the car.”

HAAS AND MAGNUSSEN RACED TO ‘PERFECTION’ HAAS AND MAGNUSSEN RACED TO ‘PERFECTION’

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