After a disastrous 2020 season, Haas decided not to develop its car for 2021 and instead immediately focus on the completely new regulations for 2022.
That meant that with two new rookie drivers in Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, 2021 was a write-off from the start as the Haas team continued to provide time tracking support for most of the races.
While it gave Schumacher and Mazepin the air to breathe to develop without great pressure, the grueling 22-race season made it extremely tough for the crew and put an enormous amount of work into almost no reward.
The Haas team is one of several teams that are already leaving staff due to the demanding schedule.
Despite the most difficult year for the team to date – Haas was the only team that didn’t score – team boss Steiner said he was impressed with how his crew never gave up and continued to try to get the most out of the car.
“I’m pretty impressed with how the guys continued,” said Steiner. “Look at the results, in the end there was never a surrender, we knew where we were going, but we keep fighting. Even when you’re a tenth behind, you try to make half a tenth, and that’s the people.
“And they really kept fighting because also, I would say, there is about 60% of the people here who have been on the team from the start, so they know we can do it. And everyone wants to come back for points again, fight in midfield.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy, but I have a group of people around me who know what we’re doing, are always involved and everyone does their job to get their own people to work for them” walk. That’s what you have to do. “
Haas F1 team members on the grid
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Steiner said there was no icing on how difficult 2021 would be within Haas and believes the team has the right mindset to keep going through 2022.
“[There] It doesn’t make sense to go there every race weekend and tell them how great everything is going to be because after a while they don’t believe you, they are smart people, they just have to see what you are doing explained back.
“And we never gave up, no one on the team ever gave up. That is the most important thing and that keeps the team going. I don’t have to keep it going. It keeps it going with this attitude.”
