F1 driver admits his team have ‘low’ expectations for start of season

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Kevin Magnussen admits Ayao Komatsu is keeping expectations ‘low’ at Haas for the start of 2024 as the American F1 team reset after they ‘hit a wall’ with last year’s car.

The VF-23 proved to be one of the worst cars during Haas’ brief history as a Formula 1 team. Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg only managed to score 12 points all season to end the year last in the constructors’ standings. Only in 2021 had Haas previously ended a season in 10th.

Hulkenberg also only finished one Grand Prix and one Sprint in the points, while Magnussen scored in three Grand Prix. Their results left Haas four points behind Sauber in their last year as Alfa Romeo. It was also just the second time Haas finished 10th since their debut in 2016.

Kevin Magnussen feels Haas ‘hit a wall’ developing the VF-23

Falling from eighth place in 2022 with 37 points further cost Guenther Steiner his job as the team principal of Haas. Owner Gene Haas decided against offering him a new contract after his deal expired in December. Komatsu took charge from his role as director of engineering.

One of the decisive factors behind Haas’ ongoing plight last year was their inability to fix the VF-23’s faults. Haas brought a major set of upgrades at their home race in October. But they failed to address the car’s woeful tyre degradation problems which cost the team all season.

Their upgrades for the United States GP failed to such an extent that Magnussen reverted to a previous specification in the final rounds for a direct comparison to the new parts. The VF-23 could qualify well, with Hulkenberg sealing second in Canada, but it destroyed its Pirellis.

Expectations at Haas are ‘low’ for the start of the 2024 F1 season

Now, Magnussen admits that Komatsu is keeping expectations for the start of the season at Haas ‘low’. But the American team’s expectations are ‘high for the whole season’ after they hit reset. Magnussen feels Haas ‘hit a wall’ with the VF-23 and could not develop it further.

“I think expectations are being managed quite well this year,” the 31-year-old explained, via quotes by Motorsport-Total. “I think some years there was an unrealistic optimism going into a season and that affected me, too.

“Ayao has made it very clear that he doesn’t think we have left last year’s position behind us yet. But he sees the development [is] much stronger and is optimistic that we can make progress this year.

“The entire field is so close with each other and I think, last year, we completely hit a wall in terms of development. We couldn’t really break through this barrier until we changed the concept and this year, things are looking much better.”