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Haas team principal Guenther Steiner insists that the team can improve throughout the season and can hope for a better race in Hungary this weekend, despite not scoring any points in the opening two rounds in Austria.
Drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen finished last Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix just outside the points with twelfth and thirteenth.
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However, there was some improved form in the second race compared to the team's finishing order during the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago, which is something Steiner hopes can continue, despite knowing that the season will not be an easy feat for the team.
“On tracks like this [the Red Bull Ring] the pecking order is pretty clear, we are in the latter half of the field," Steiner told ESPN.
"But I want to see on tracks like Hungary – slower tracks basically where we don’t have the long straights — how we do there.
“I think we can gain something there because in Barcelona testing we were quicker than we were in Austria compared to other people. But again we need to go at least to Hungary to do a good race and see where we end up. But for sure it won’t be an easy year for us.”
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Steiner also noted his delight with current drivers Grosjean and Magnussen and how they've managed with racing each other on track.
Last year, the two teammates made contact with each other on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, forcing a double retirement for Haas before again making contact at the following round in Germany, leading to Steiner threatening to fire them if the situation did not improve.
However, Steiner said he was happy with the way they battled together during last Sunday's race, as the drivers were fair and managed to bring both cars home, albeit for no points.
“It was about time! It took a few years too long and a few crashes too many,” Steiner commented.
“I think what was said last year worked. They were well behaved. For sure they are never happy but it’s actually very difficult on the pit wall to manage it because we do not really see what’s going on.
“You see it from the onboard camera but we don’t see how much they push and how much they don’t push.”
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Gunter and Claire must be sharing notes