Haas Bahrain result "very difficult" with Nikita Mazepin in the team

Haas

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Haas Bahrain result "very difficult" with Mazepin in the team

Russian's contract was axed after invasion of Ukraine

Ian Parkes

Thursday 24 March 2022 17:10

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Guenther Steiner believes Haas' remarkable result in the Bahrain Grand Prix would have been "very difficult" if Nikita Mazepin had still been driving for the F1 team.

Haas tore up Mazepin's contract, and that of sponsor Uralkali - a potash and fertiliser company owned by his father Dmitry - following Russia's invasion of Ukraine as sport took a stance in the wake of such an atrocity.

In Mazepin's place, Haas opted to re-sign Kevin Magnussen 15 months after he had been released, with the Dane's impact immediate.

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In tandem with a strong car, Magnussen qualified seventh and went on to finish fifth, giving the team its best result for almost four years.

Asked whether Haas would be lying third in the constructors' championship after the first race with Mazepin still involved, Steiner replied: "Who knows.

"For sure, bringing Kevin back showed what was possible. I think it would have been very difficult if Nikita and Mick [Schumacher] had been in the team."

No madness at Haas despite strong start

Schumacher came close to adding to Haas' tally and scoring his first points in F1, with the German driver finishing 11th.

Given the result, naturally, expectations have been raised considerably, yet Steiner insists such fervour is beyond his control.

"It's about what we can do, and we will do our best," added Steiner. "Whatever comes out of it, we'll do.

"I'm not on the wave of expectation. That's for other people, and I think before the first race they expected us to be last."

"Yeah, there's a lot of interest because of the result. Nobody expected what we did, but there's no madness. We didn't win a race", before quickly adding with a chuckle, "Yet!"