Martin Brundle marvels at ‘tiny’ duo for ‘outstanding’ performance at US Grand Prix

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Martin Brundle was left impressed by two drivers during Sprint Qualifying at the United States Grand Prix that are not usually associated with being at the front.

Haas have enjoyed a solid season in 2024 thus far after a disappointing campaign the year prior. The American outfit finished rock bottom of the Constructors’ Championship as Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen managed just 12 podiums between them across the season.

But after the team appointed Ayao Komatsu as team principal following the departure of Guenther Steiner, Haas have seen a huge improvement in form. Heading into the race in Austin, the team are seventh in the standings with 31 points.

Hulkenberg has scored the main bulk of these points with 24 and currently sits in the top 10 of the Drivers’ Championship, while Magnussen has only registered three points finishes this year and sits on six points so far.

Oliver Bearman scored one point for Haas on his debut with the team in Baku as he took Magnussen’s place after the Dane was suspended from the race due to accumulating 12 penalty points on his superlicense.

Martin Brundle lauds Haas’ ‘outstanding performance’ during Sprint Qualifying in Austin

Haas continued their impressive form at the United States Grand Prix as both cars managed to get through to SQ3, ultimately lining up sixth (Hulkenberg) and eighth (Magnussen) for the Sprint race on Saturday, sandwiching Lewis Hamilton in seventh.

In SQ2, Hulkenberg secured his place in the third part of Sprint Qualifying by registering ninth overall, coming in just under three tenths quicker than Sergio Perez in the Red Bull. Meanwhile, Magnussen was two tenths quicker than his teammate in seventh.

After such an impressive display from the American team, Martin Brundle was left lauding over their ‘outstanding’ performance on Sky Sports F1 as Haas put themselves in good stead to score points over the weekend.

As Hulkenberg backed out of his final run in SQ2, Brundle said: “And the tiny Haas team, and why he’s backing off is because he’s through.

“The tiny Haas team seventh and ninth. Two cars through, that’s an outstanding performance.”

Haas enters new exciting technical partnership with Toyota

As Haas find themselves in a solid position in the present day, the future is also looking bright for the team as they enter a new technical partnership with Toyota.

The deal will see Toyota grant access to their facility to Haas, as well as their personnel and young drivers. The Japanese manufacturer have not been in F1 as a team since 2009 and have been keen to play down the significance of their return.

Ferrari engines will power Haas until at least 2028, but reports have suggested that Haas’ new deal is a ‘first step towards a sale to Toyota’.

The American team will field an all-new driver pairing for 2025, as Bearman and Esteban Ocon will join Haas next year. Hulkenberg will move to Sauber after signing a multi-year deal with the team, while Magnussen’s future is currently unknown.