Haas planning new chassis post-summer break for "carrot" Mazepin

Ian Parkes
Thursday 1 July 2021 11:04

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed Nikita Mazepin will receive a new chassis after F1's summer break following his complaints about driving a heavier car.

Mazepin expressed his frustration after Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix, claiming he had "a very heavy car" compared to team-mate Mick Schumacher and describing himself as "a carrot to be caught" by other drivers.

Steiner has confirmed Mazepin's VF-21 is heavier, although not significantly.

"I don't want to go into the specific weight difference," said Steiner. "There is a small weight difference depending on the weight distribution.

"Sometimes you can't get to the weight distribution if you need to put a little bit of overweight ballast in. Heavy is never good. It's not like it's 20 kilos heavy, not 10 kilos heavy. It's nothing like this."

As to the time being lost by Mazepin, Steiner added: "Obviously a heavier car never makes you faster. I stated the obvious here!

"But how much, I don't want to go into the exact amount. For sure, it does something. Physics are physics, we can't change them. It slows him down but it's not a lot."

Mazepin further bemoaned the fact the weight issue will not be cured until he receives a new chassis, which he suggested would not be for another "six, seven races".

Steiner, though, has stated it will be much sooner than that, suggesting for the Belgian Grand Prix that follows the summer shutdown.

"The new chassis, the plan is not to have it in six or seven races," dismissed Steiner. "It's planned to be with us after the summer break.

"The chassis always has a tolerance, it is a year old, they've raced for a year. Normally you make a new one every year, and for sure, the chassis is never going to get lighter as you know over the year.

"The tolerance in it is just a little bit higher but it's not a lot."

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