Canada too cold for HaasF1: Another collision at HaasF1

F ure HaasF1 it was a déjà- vu. The US troops felt reminded of several races before at the Canadian GP. To the Spanish GP, because Esteban Gutierrez and Romain Grosjean had a contact that cost Grosjean another front wing. And of the races in China and Monaco, because it was too cold for the vehicle characteristics of the HaasF1 VF-16.

The car only feels comfortable at higher temperatures. Because it can then show its qualities when it comes to protecting tires. The Canadian GP got off to a fairly good start with asphalt temperatures below 20 degrees. When the race was neutralized for around 90 seconds because of Jenson Button's gearbox damage, nothing worked. “We never brought the tires back into your window after the VSC phase,” complained team boss Guenther Steiner.

Last Haas upgrade at Silverstone

More than 11th and 11th place 12 would not have been possible even in a perfect race. Only positions 13 and 14 remained. “We have Renault, Sauber and Manor clearly under control. But it's brutally tight in midfield. If the slightest thing does not fit, you stand in the back. Before the VSC phase, we drove the times of McLaren and Force India. Once the tires were out of the working window, we couldn't keep up, 'summarizes Steiner.

In retrospect, even a one-stop race would have been possible:' But we have to understand the tires even better. ' It also didn't help that the two HaasF1 pilots got in each other's way at the start. At Grosjean, the right front wing end plate bent backwards. “We hoped it would hold, but when we stopped we saw that we needed a new nose. Romain threw that behind Gutierrez, ”says Steiner.

At HaasF1, the clocks are already running at full steam for 2017. The US team is only planning an upgrade this year. It should come at the GP England in Silverstone. Then there is also the latest engine expansion stage from Ferrari. And the aerodynamicists bring their last wind tunnel development for the 2016 car.