Fans might think the most intense battle of 2023 was over the moment Max Verstappen pulled away from Sergio Perez, given that there’s no match for the RB19. However, there’s an intense battle going on further down the grid, three teams are giving it their all to claim eighth in the constructor’s championship. AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo are both tied at 16 points, with the American underdog, Haas, trailing closely by only 4 points!

This is why the pressure on Haas was mounting after a dismal Mexican GP. For most of the race, Nico Hulkenberg was clinging on to the top for dear life. But the German would be denied a points-finish, ultimately falling to 13th at the checkered flag. Unfortunately for his teammate, Kevin Magnussen, the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez was even harsher, after his VF-23 suffered terminal suspension failure! The Danish veteran driver was hoping to redeem himself at the Sao Paulo GP this weekend.

Kevin Magnussen blames the ghost of a prancing horse for his qualifying miseries

While Nico Hulkenberg delivered a stellar lap that saw him miss out on Q3 by the smallest of margins, it was a different story for Kevin Magnussen. While on his fast lap, the Haas driver crossed paths with Carlos Sainz, who was on an in-lap. The Danish driver was quick to point fingers at the Spaniard, exclaiming to his engineer over the radio, “That f***ing Ferrari! At turn 7″ – Magnussen alleged Carlos Sainz had impeded him during his hot lap, blaming the slowing Ferrari for his exit in Q2.

However, when the commentators watched the replay, it told them a completely different story! The SF-23 moved out of Kevin Magnussen’s way well in advance. This prompted the commentators to chuckle, given how far off Sainz was from Magnussen. They did give him the benefit of the doubt however, citing the track’s elevation change and depth of field for Magnussen’s misunderstanding.

With both Haas cars out of contention for Q3, the American outfit has not achieved the result they desired. Adding to their misery, the Interlagos track conditions did a complete 180 in Q3, triggering a red flag after the weather gods decided to add some drama. This could have played into the bottom team’s hands, had they made it past Q2. After all, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso put Aston Martin in the second row for Sunday’s Grand Prix!

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Amidst such an intense battle for eighth, Haas find themselves in an awkward situation. Will they be able to gain crucial points this weekend to overtake AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo?

Despite recent horrors, Haas aims high in the battle for 8th in the constructors

Whilst the seventh spot on the constructor’s standing seems to be out of reach for Haas, they cannot afford to lose out on eighth. After all, the difference in the earnings distribution is significant enough to create real issues for Haas if they remain dead last. Only a week ago, Kevin Magnussen fell victim to negligence on the part of the engineers. Although the team knew about his left-rear suspension issue long before it failed, they did not act on it.

Their opposition is no slouches either. Alpha Tauri bagged in much-needed points at the Mexican GP, thanks to Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive return. On the other hand, they have a closer match in Alfa Romeo, but the American outfit’s rookie mistakes are causing them way too much! In such an intense points battle, something as little as a slow pit-stop could mean the difference between scoring enough points to be 8th and losing it all.

Under such circumstances, Haas cannot afford to continue its mistakes, neither can its drivers afford to pass the blame to seemingly innocent bystanders like Carlos Sainz. The team will have to take a page out of Lawrence Stroll’s book of creating a ‘healthy atmosphere’ which will allow the team to excel.

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With only two races to go after this weekend in Brazil, time is running out for Guenther Steiner and Co. But will they persevere through adversity? Or will Kevin Magnussen find himself being impeded by another Ferrari?