Oct.11 (GMM) Gunther Steiner’s absence is just not essentially the explanation for the drastic enchancment made by the small American staff Haas in 2024.
That’s the view of Ralf Schumacher, usually a fierce critic of the Steiner-led period on the F1 staff.
Haas is now led by the staff’s former senior race engineer Ayao Komatsu.
However when Steiner was in cost in 2021 and 2022, Ralf’s nephew Mick drove for the staff till – following an extended interval of public criticism by Steiner – he was dropped.
Final yr, Haas completed lifeless final within the constructors’ standings. However in 2024, the staff has dramatically improved below Komatsu’s management, and is at the moment forward of Williams, Alpine and Sauber – and only a few factors behind RB.
“I don’t wish to say that Gunther had a lot affect that he was stopping or slowing down the method that we’re seeing now,” Ralf Schumacher instructed formel1.de.
“I believe it’s the core of the staff – the technical group that makes the technical choices – that has executed an excellent job. Whether or not that additionally would have been the case with or with out Steiner’s technique as staff boss, I don’t know. I can’t decide that,” the German and former F1 driver added.
Schumacher thinks fellow German Nico Hulkenberg has really performed an enormous half in Haas taking stepping as much as the subsequent stage. He’s heading to Audi-Sauber for 2025, and can be changed full-time by rookie Oliver Bearman.
“Nico is completely a qualifying beast and I used to be a bit shocked when Bearman beat him in Baku,” Schumacher, 49, stated.
“However I’ve to say that it has turn into a close-knit group and so they appear very decided.”
Ferrari-powered Haas introduced a brand new technical partnership with Toyota on Friday.
