“You’re Scared to Dream About It”: Tough-Skinned Steiner Gets Unusually Emotional as 7 Years Later, Kevin Magnussen Makes Haas Dreams Come True

Rains have and continue to make Formula 1 interesting. When they say anything can happen in wet conditions, they really mean it. And that is exactly what happened at the 2022 Brazilian GP qualifying as Haas’ Kevin Magnussen sealed the pole position. Team principal Guenther Steiner was over the moon and iterated his team deserved it.

Right from Q1, drivers struggled for grip on a track that was dry at some spots and damp at others. Tire strategies went for a toss as everyone started on intermediate tires. It was only when Pierre Gasly came in to get soft compound fitted on his car and set a great lap that everyone realized it was the tire to be on.

Guenther Steiner believes the team deserved the feat

It was Q2 when the track had dried out significantly and Race Control enabled DRS. Things went back to regular as Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished in the top 3. The Q3 was however ready to throw a curve ball at all teams but Haas.

Teams delayed going out and started out on intermediate tires, expecting rain to arrive soon. Kevin Magnussen on the soft compound had already set the fastest time before George Russell spun out and beached his car into the gravel. The incident caused the FIA to red-flag the session and until the session restarted, it started to rain again.

Talking post-qualifying, Steiner put the moment as the best of his F1 career. The usually tough-skinned team boss said, “I think number one especially now. This is amazing!”

“You’re scared to dream about it I think. We’re trying hard. The whole team is trying hard since 7 years and then circumstances let us pull this one off.”

“I think it was not luck. It was well deserved from the driver, from the team, being on the same tire, the right tires at the right time, Kevin putting the lap down when it was needed.”

Read More: “Has More Poles Than Lewis Hamilton”: Kevin Magnussen’s Wild Brazilian GP Result Sends Shockwaves Across F1 World

This was the first pole position of Kevin Magnussen’s career. As time passed after the Red Flag, the team started celebrating in the garage. It was only when they saw no team had enough time to put in a lap, Kevin Magnussen came out of his car.

Haas F1 Boss does not think it was a lucky day

While many believed the rain played to Haas’ advantage, Steiner thought going out first was a disadvantage for his Danish driver. The gamble, however, paid off in the end.

The Haas boss continued, “He was the first out so we can say he had advantage. But the disadvantage, he had no one to gauge with. So he was on his own. He put the lap down, it stuck.”

Watch This Story: F1 Drivers Trying Their Hand at Different Sports

Steiner was wary of putting his hopes up for winning the race, but thought it will be a welcome one if things do their way.