“The mood is good” - Kevin Magnussen claims Haas are in a ‘good spot’ going into the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP

Kevin Magnussen claims Haas are in a 'good spot' heading into Bahrain's season opener this weekend.

The Danish driver had an interesting season in 2022, finally taking his first pole position in the sport at the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP.

The American team is in a good mood, as per Magnussen, who claims the team is also in a good spot after the 2023 pre-season testing last weekend. The driver also claims the team has made a 'step up' when it comes to their preparations for the new season. The American outfit had a mediocre campaign in 2022, showing promise early in the season, but dropping off in form towards the end.

Speaking to onsite media, including Sportskeeda, the Haas driver said:

"The mood is good. I feel like we are in a good spot - preparation-wise. It feels like things took a step up for this year. And yeah, that's basically all I can say for now. We did the test which was pretty smooth and we did a lot of laps. It's exciting to come in and see where we actually stack up here".

The Haas team have also decided to ditch Mick Schumacher for the 2023 season and have chosen to instead go with Nico Hulkenberg, who will star alongside Magnussen from this weekend onwards.

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Money is no longer a 'limit' for Haas

Team boss Guenther Steiner claims that money is no longer a limit for the American team in 2023 due to MoneyGram's involvement. The American outfit will look to climb the F1 hierarchy in the near future, with the return of Nico Hulkenberg to the squad.

Haas, having finished in eighth place in 2022, has always faced financial challenges. These problems were particularly in comparison to bigger names in the sport such as Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull. Nonetheless, the team has recently resolved its funding issues thanks to MoneyGram, a US-based peer-to-peer payment and money transfer company.

Steiner told AMuS:

"We can (do) just more in these exactly the same (budget figures) as the other teams and (that) should be possible. I always tell my engineers, 'now money is no longer the limit, but talent, your talent.' It's all about talent now, not money."

With the teams ready for the season opener in Bahrain, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top in the new season.