Nobody would expect the start of a season the way Haas had. The American team has been through turmoil. Despite that, they now have Kevin Magnussen as their man to spearhead things for the new season. Kevin has made a remarkable return to Haas after a season. The American outfit re-signed the Danish in place of outgoing Nikita Mazepin, who had his contract terminated by the Kannapolis-based team due to the Russian-Ukraine fallout.
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Magnussen talking about Haas paddock, conveyed, “I don’t think we are going for the championship this year but I think there is a good atmosphere. You can feel something good is coming, but let’s see.”
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“We know better than to think we will go out there and smash it. But it’s good that there’s a lot of smiles around the team and everyone is looking forward to it, and they are not scared of going on track with something that will be embarrassing because I feel like the team are in a good place.”, the 29-year-old further stated.
What to expect from Haas this season?
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Haas finished dead last in P10 last season. However, unlike last year, the American team has been able to show some significant performances in the pre-season tests. On day 2 of Bahrain testing, Magnussen even managed to set the fastest lap for the day, beating the likes of Sainz and Verstappen by 3-tenths and 8-tenths, respectively. Moreover, Mick Schumacher has shown glimpses of his capabilities in the Haas car.
Despite scoring 0 points in all 22 races last season, the team is now hopeful for some points this time around. Haas started the development of their challenger way before anyone else. Not only that, but they unveiled their brand new car VF-22 ahead of the rest of the teams as well.
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Kevin has been a Haas driver for four years previously. The Danish international has retired in 2020 to give way to Russian Nikita Mazepin. And now he made his return to take over from where he left. With old boy Kevin Magnussen spearheading Haas’s attack and Mick Schumacher partnering, the team might expect some points to their tally before the season-ending race at Abu Dhabi.