| You had a good weekend in Sochi where both Grosjean and Magnussen had pace throughout practice, qualifying and the race. Even though the outcome wasn’t ideal, as Grosjean was caught up in a lap-one crash and Magnussen received a penalty that dropped him from eighth to ninth, Haas F1 Team still came away with points. Can the momentum and key learnings from Sochi be applied at Suzuka?
“Even having had a good race in Sochi, it doesn’t mean that this form will carry on. For sure, we’ll try to carry it on, but the car is very temperamental, to say the least, and we never know on any given weekend where we’ll end up. You’re always learning when you’re racing. Hopefully, we can carry that form into Suzuka and beyond.”
How helpful was the team’s speed in Sochi for company morale, where the effort that’s been put forth throughout the summer finally paid some dividends?
“Points always help. It helps to keep people going. It gives you confidence that you can still do it. Points and good results are always the easiest way to keep morale up in a team.”
Many drivers – Grosjean and Magnussen in particular – claim Suzuka as their favorite track. When drivers come into a venue with confidence and a sense of being, does it allow them to attack more and perhaps provide more detailed feedback?
“I think they always try to get the best out anyway, but Suzuka is a fantastic racetrack and it’s a challenge. I think on tracks like that, the motivation is just higher for them to do well. There’s enjoyment, too. I fully believe going around Suzuka fast is a very cool feeling. They can’t wait to get there and that always motivates them to do well.”
Only five races remain on this year’s schedule. Has the season moved quickly for you or has it seemed to move a bit slower than in year’s past because of the amount of adversity you’ve had to work through with how the Haas VF-19s have performed on the track?
“It’s been up and down this season. When you get a good result, you can’t wait to go to the next race, but when you have a few bad results in a row, you fear to go to the next race. Sometimes it goes very quick, and sometimes it goes very slow. When you’re having a bad race, those two hours seem like they’re dragging on for days. Overall, this year’s been very challenging for us. It’s gone by in the blink of an eye – we’ve only five races to go. It’s almost unbelievable.”
When you leave Japan you’ll be gearing up for your home race – the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. Where do you want Haas F1 Team to be at that time and what will your thoughts be on that long flight back to North Carolina?
“Austin’s great. It’s always nice to go to your home race. Everyone on the team loves being there, in Austin itself. How we treat it from a racing point – it’s the same. You always give it 100 percent and a little bit more. From that side, not a lot changes. The support has increased because people have got to know us a little more. We’re quite established in Formula One, even though this is only our fourth year. We have Haas Hill there at COTA – that’s an established event now. I think it’s getting bigger and bigger, which is fantastic.” |
