Haas: Gap to Ferrari will get bigger

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner does not expect Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen to be as close to Ferrari as they were at the Australian Grand Prix throughout 2019. Grosjean qualified sixth in Melbourne, just four tenths of a second down on Charles Leclerc in fifth.

The 'B Class' were generally a second down on the front-running teams in qualifying last year, but Haas appeared to have made significant ground as Grosjean and Magnussen both made it into Q3.

Although Grosjean's race was ended by another Melbourne pit-stop both, Magnussen finished sixth, comfortably clear of the midfield pack to give Steiner reason for cheer.

Great to be back out racing at the weekend!#BahrainGP can't come soon enough ???????? #HaasF1 pic.twitter.com/qEsmfZAlv9

— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) March 19, 2019

But, put to Steiner that Haas had been so close to Ferrari, he replied: "Yes, but I think Ferrari had a particularly bad weekend and I don't think this will be the normal.

"But that was the aim — to get closer to the top and not just move away from the others, because you'd do that automatically. We are in a good way we just need to keep it up."

With Magnussen the last man to finish on the lead lap, a good distance clear of seventh-placed Nico Hulkenberg – Steiner hopes that continues through 2019.

"Absolutely, the time distance from where we were [in qualifying] and the guys behind us, we were a solid sixth and seventh and they can do the same times in the car," he added.

"Sometimes everything goes right on one occasion, but this car seems to be fantastic all the time and very solid. The drivers like it, the balance is good and it is always the same — so let's hope we keep it like this."

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