"We’ve got a great pair of drivers behind the wheel" - Gene Haas shares his verdict on Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen driver pair

Gene Haas believes that their team has a competitive pairing in Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Addressing the media in a team statement at the 2024 car launch, the American F1 team owner and chairman feels that the experience of their driver lineup has been critically important for the development of their car.

Far from the rookie lineup they had in 2022 with Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, their 2024 pairing of Hulkenberg and Magnussen has proven successful in terms of developing a better car. Experienced drivers are always a boon for a team when it comes to pinpointing the weaknesses and strengths of a car.

Despite the abrupt dismissal of founding team principal Guenther Steiner over the winter, the Haas squad is optimistic for a better season in 2024. Unveiling the VF-24 online, the American team outlined its expectations for the 24-race-long calendar. Commenting on the new car and its livery, Gene Haas said:

“I’m looking forward to seeing the VF-24 running and racing – a sentiment I know I share with our partners and indeed the entire team. In Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, we also know we’ve got a great pair of drivers behind the wheel, their experience will prove invaluable again as we develop our program through the year. We’ve used the off-season to put the processes in place to be better and ultimately improve our overall performance. Soon we get to see how we’re doing.”

Outlining their expectations for the 2024 season with their car, new team principal Ayao Komatsu said:

“We’re realistic about our expectations for the VF-24 to start but it’s still an exciting moment in any Formula 1 season to showcase the car. There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make progress and increase our performance but everyone here is highly motivated and eager to get on track with the VF-24. I know we’ll be maximizing our time in Bahrain with all the various items we need to push through. Bottom line, we can’t wait to get going and get the season underway.”

While Gene felt their driver pairing was invaluable to developing the VF-24, Komatsu was cautiously optimistic about outlining the expectations for the season ahead. The newly assigned Haas team principal felt that they will still have a lot of work to do on the car through the season. Although there is a lot of motivation in the team, they would need to get the most out of the Prema season testing to make their car race-worthy by Bahrain.

The Banbury squad unveiled a black and white livery car with red undertones. The concept of the car seemed more complex than its predecessor - the VF-23, but has remained an evolution of the same. Following Steiner’s exit, the Haas squad continues to restructure itself for the season ahead. While they’ve had some new signings in the technical department, they have still not had an infrastructural revamp like their competitors AlphaTauri (now VisaCashapp RB) or Audi Sauber.

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Haas chief reveals that their 2023 F1 car was a preview of the VF-24

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu claimed that their 2024 F1 challenger, the VF-24, was previewed in a sense with the upgrades they brought to the car in Austin last year. The American team had heavily upgraded their car towards the end of the season, unlike their competitors who had developed their cars throughout the season. While the upgrades did not pay off as expected, their new team principal reckons a lot of the features have carried on to the new car.

Describing the similarities between the Haas VF-23 and VF-24, Komatsu said in a team statement:

“In terms of physical changes, as everyone knows, when we made the upgrade in Austin that was the concept towards this year’s car – but because we had the physical limitation of the side impact structure, rad-duct arrangement, and cooling arrangement, we couldn’t do the full-blown VF-24-type-concept. I knew exactly where we were going for this year, but everyone saw a preview in Austin.”

He added:

“Again, to understand the problem of the VF-23, creating the updated car in Austin was pretty useful. Mainly because when we split the cars and Nico went back to the previous spec while Kevin continued with the new, we could see the performance differences in varying speeds of corner. We got a lot of data from that, and that confirmed where we needed to concentrate our development for the VF-24.”

Finishing last in the constructors standings in 2023, the Haas team was unable to eclipse its competitors similar to seasons past. Team principal Guenther Steiner’s exit has been a blow to the team, particularly with the timing of the dismissal in December. However, the American team will have a make-or-break year in 2024, given their dire need to survive in the sport and progress in terms of performance.