Steiner hands Magnussen contract ultimatum amid Haas future debate

Harry Smith
Thursday 27 April 2023 15:57

Guenther Steiner has explained the situation regarding Kevin Magnussen's Haas future, with the Danish driver's current F1 contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Magnussen impressed immediately on his return to the sport last year with a mighty performance in Bahrain, but the Dane has struggled to replicate that so far in 2023.

The 30-year-old has found his achievements overshadowed by that of the returning Nico Hulkenberg, with his former rival recording two Q3 appearances and a stunning P7 finish at the Australian Grand Prix.

With both drivers out of contract at the end of the current season, Guenther Steiner has some decisions to make regarding Haas' 2024 driver line-up.

Magnussen must deliver

"Kevin is not in a happy place at the moment, being behind Nico," Steiner said in an interview with The Mirror.

"He is happy for the team and he knows the car is there for him to be able to do it - he just needs to get it done."

When asked about Magnussen's future with the team beyond the end of the 2023 season, Steiner stated: "In the end, it is all down to performance but, at the moment, I'm pretty relaxed about it.

"I want to at least give another five races to see where we are and then start to think about it.

"Hopefully this year we can confirm what we are doing before the summer break because [the delay is] not nice from my point of view."

READ MORE: Steiner SPEAKS OUT on major F1 rule change