Haas F1's Near Miss at Top 10 in China GP

Haas F1 team almost broke into the top 10 at the Chinese Grand Prix, with drivers Magnussen and Hülkenberg facing challenges.

Kevin Magnussen qualified 12th for the Sprint at the Chinese Grand Prix. The Haas F1 driver, who was in the top 10 in FP1 that morning, knew it would be tough to advance to Q3 since many drivers had concealed their pace during practice.

“I’m not disappointed, but after FP1, we knew that the two Ferraris, the two Mercedes, and one Aston Martin hadn’t set times. We knew the Ferraris would improve and we didn’t make the right call with the strategy,” notes Magnussen.

“We decided to do two runs and to stop in the middle of both. And in the second run, it started to rain. We took a gamble, it didn’t work out but it could have paid off, and 12th place isn’t so bad.”

Nico Hülkenberg had several of his times deleted, and he is frustrated not to reach the top 10, finishing 13th: “I’m a bit disappointed not to have made it to Q3 today, the margins are tight. Q1 was good, there was a bit of drizzle, but it was dry.”

“For Q2, things got a bit more interesting with the rain that fell later. It was just a matter of small margins. With a bit more preparation time, things could have been different.”

“It’s not the easiest day with only one practice session, but it’s the same for everyone, so that’s where we stand today. Free practice may not have been up to the task, with everyone doing different things. But I feel good in the car and that’s encouraging for the weekend.”