What to expect from Haas in 2024

It won't be long until F1 teams begin to take the covers off their new challengers for the upcoming season as we eagerly anticipate the first track running of the year in the Bahrain test.

Ahead of the car launches, RacingNews365 will take a look at what to expect from each team ahead of the new campaign and first up is Haas, which finished bottom of the Constructors' standings last term.

Overcoming tyre woes

Haas showed decent speed over one lap last season, particularly in the hands of new recruit Nico Hulkenberg.

Yet when the races began on Sundays, excessive tyre wear at the rear of the car left both Hulkenberg and teammate Kevin Magnussen sitting ducks against rivals.

There were fundamental problems with the car design that contributed to the issues, which often prescribed an earlier pit stop for the two drivers compared to the competition and regularly led to an extra change of tyres at the end of the race.

If this issue is overcome with the new machinery, it is hard to see why the American-owned outfit can't make a move up the Constructors' standings.

Ferrari dependence?

The close bond between Ferrari and Haas usually dictates similar fortunes for the two teams, at least when it comes to reliability.

The Scuderia's power unit has struggled for reliability in the past two seasons and was the catalyst for Charles Leclerc's slump from the lead of the 2022 title.

This has trickled down to Haas and fellow Ferrari customer Sauber, with both teams forced to overcome various failures over the past two seasons.

But conversely, whenever the Ferrari power unit has performed, both teams have reaped those rewards too and, should any problems be overcome, should leave Haas in a good position relative to its midfield rivals.

With the Maranello design office likely to take inspiration from the Ferrari challenger, any early signs of performance for Messrs Leclerc and Sainz should provide optimism for Hulkenberg and Magnussen.

Hulkenberg form to continue

Hulkenberg had been out of F1 for three years when making his comeback for Haas last season, though this break was interspersed with a number of impressive substitute performances for Aston Martin [and formerly Racing Point].

The German hit the ground running and whilst race performances were often overshadowed by the aforementioned tyre wear issues, qualifying speed underlined just why Team Principal Guenther Steiner drafted Hulkenberg in to partner Magnussen.

In Canada, Hulkenberg sparkled in testing conditions to set the second-fastest time, though a subsequent penalty for a red-flag infringement dropped him to fourth on the grid.

If this form can continue in conjunction with a step forward mechanically for Haas, points should be free-flowing for Hulkenberg.

Magnussen to bounce back

On the other side of the garage, Magnussen struggled in comparison.

In fairness to the Danish driver, the VF-23 did not lend itself to strong results, yet the margin to Hulkenberg in qualifying on numerous occasions would have been a disappointment, given Magnussen's own strong comeback to the sport a year previous.

The struggle was so that questions were being asked over Magnussen's future mid-season, though in truth his place with the team was never under any real threat.

Given his ability behind the wheel of an F1 car, it is fair to expect a bounce back of sorts from him, though a further slump could spell the end of his third spell in the sport.

Steiner vs Stewards?

One common theme of the past two seasons has been the battle between Steiner and the race stewards over a number of contentious decisions.

Two years ago, the Team Principal felt disrespected by a number of inconsistencies regarding the use of the black and orange flag, used to highlight a mechanical issue that must be rectified in the pits.

Magnussen was called in on three separate occasions through the season for a dangerous front wing, yet the call was not made to Red Bull's Sergio Perez late in the season - something that left Steiner irate.

Further issues arose last season when Hulkenberg was penalised for overtaking manoeuvers in Monaco. Will there be peace between Steiner and the stewards this year?