“Teammates shouldn’t be friends”: Haas F1 boss explains why Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg’s fractious relationship is a good thing

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner feels Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg's relationship should not be too friendly, simply because, as teammates, they need to compete against and push each other forward.

Speaking to The Guardian, Steiner immediately explained how teammates should not be friends but rather competitors, pushing each other and the car to the maximum. He said:

“At the moment they get on pretty good, but I always say teammates shouldn’t be friends because then the competition is going away. They need to compete to get the best out of the car for the team."

Furthermore, he spoke about the rocky relationship between Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg and how they settled their differences a few years ago. He also revealed how he had a chat with Magnussen about the German joining the team. According to Steiner, the Danish driver was happy to have Hulkenberg as a teammate. The Haas boss added:

“They don’t hang out together on an off weekend, but they cleared the air a few years ago. I spoke with Kevin because I wanted to make sure that there was no animosity any more between them and he said: ‘I’m very happy having Nico as a teammate because he’s a very good driver.’ So for me, that was OK.”

It is no surprise that both F1 drivers have competed against each other in the midfield table and had a few battles with words off the track. Though they are currently on good terms, only time will tell how they will react if and when they have a close race with each other or have an incident.

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Kevin Magnussen is happy to stay with Haas in the future

Kevin Magnussen recently reflected on his time in F1 and how he gradually accomplished his dream of racing in the sport. Later on, he praised Haas for giving him a great opportunity. The Danish driver is willing to work on the future of the team and be a part of it in the long run. He said:

"I’m on a great team of great people and am often given the opportunity to race towards the front. I’ve had many opportunities with Haas, and I see a great future for the team. I very much hope I can be a part of that and live to see the fruits of all the hard work and progress that’s being made at the moment.”

Kevin Magnussen joined the team immediately after Nikita Mazepin was fired from F1. Ever since then, he has been delivering fairly decent performances.