
KANNAPOLIS NC (WBTV) – Uralkali Haas F1 team drivers Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, based in Kannapolis, finished 16th and 18th respectively at the Qatar Grand Prix, round 20 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Losail International Circuit .
“The race today was one of our better ones this year, if not the best. Both drivers did a good job – Mick fought with the Williams and Alfa Romeos, which is unexpected, ”said team principal Günther Steiner. “We couldn’t get past them, but at least we were in the mix, which was easy to see for the whole team. Nikita also did a very, very good first part of the race and kept up thinking that he had only done 15 laps in the car before the race and the car never drove on a full fuel tank. Since the other Williams quit earlier and pursued a different strategy, it got a little difficult, so he fell behind. “
Schumacher started from position 19 on Pirelli P Zero Red Soft tires and managed a one-stop strategy in which he switched from 57 to yellow medium on lap 23. From there, Schumacher brought the car home in 16th place.
“It was good and we can be satisfied with what we achieved today,” said Schumacher. “We developed the strategy we chose and committed to working. The start was pretty decent, we got Latifi at the beginning. The car was performing and we were standing right by the window. We were very close to the Alfas, which we expected, but not since the beginning of the year. It is our teamwork that obliges us to understand the car as well as we do and to work with what we have. We’re still finding new things, finding new ways to improve. “
Mazepin started from 20th place on Medium and also implemented a one-stop strategy, pitting on lap 32 and switching to the soft tires. Mazepin, who lost valuable time on the track at the beginning of the weekend because he completely missed FP2 and FP3, later finished 18th.
“We expected the tires to do one thing and got medium to soft and it felt like the balance had a lot of understeer at the end of the first stint. I did some decent laps towards the end of the last lap, ”said Mazepin. “I certainly didn’t drive as if they were racing tires, I drove as if on qualifying tires and learned the track with every lap out there. It was a very hot race. Our big goal was to do laps and to maximize them. Not the easiest, but next time another new track in the mix. “
At the top, Lewis Hamilton took the 102nd victory of his Formula 1 career, 25.7 seconds ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen, while Fernando Alonso returned to the podium in third.
The 2021 Formula 1 season of the Uralkali Haas F1 Team will continue with the first Saudi Arabia Grand Prix from December 3rd to 5th at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
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