The result with which Haas leaves Las Vegas is one of the most significant points finishes of the season. The American team has reclaimed sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, overtaking Alpine, which endured a race to forget. At the end of the race, Nico Hulkenberg, who finished eighth, expressed satisfaction with executing the race as envisioned beforehand, maximizing the potential offered by the VF-24 this weekend. The final outcome serves as an extra motivational boost for the upcoming back-to-back rounds, where the team will aim to maintain the position that aligns with their seasonal objectives.
“I’m really satisfied. I think eighth place is the maximum we could achieve, being the fifth strongest team,” said Nico Hulkenberg after the race in Las Vegas. “It was a clean race, and we executed everything as planned. It was very challenging in terms of tire management with the graining, especially on the front tires. We handled it well, focused on our primary objectives, and even our pace was good.”
This result was already a target since yesterday, especially after Pierre Gasly’s third place in qualifying, which left Haas in a position where they couldn’t afford any slip-ups. However, Gasly was forced to retire due to a reliability issue, giving Haas the chance to reclaim sixth place in the Constructors’ standings. In the last two races, the team will also need to watch out for Racing Bulls, which had a strong showing today with Yuki Tsunoda, who battled with Nico Hulkenberg during the race. “It was intense and fun to fight with him for a few laps. He defended well at Turn 14; he was quick, had good straight-line speed, and strong traction out of corners, but it was a clean duel.”
Nico Hulkenberg’s satisfaction was contrasted by Kevin Magnussen’s disappointment, finishing twelfth and voicing frustration over the team’s strategy. “We went for a one-stop strategy, which I think wasn’t the right call, and that’s why we finished twelfth. The pace was good on the hard tires but terrible on the mediums because of graining. We had to rebuild the race with the hards. I feel like we didn’t maximize the potential.”
Regarding Kevin Magnussen’s race, team principal Ayao Komatsu explained that the strategic decision was a necessary gamble after a poor start. “After losing positions at the beginning, the only way to get Kevin back into the game was to go for a one-stop strategy.” Despite the drawback in Magnussen’s race, the team was thrilled with Hulkenberg’s result, which put Haas back on track after a weekend to forget in Interlagos. “I think it’s the best eighth place we’ve ever achieved. It wasn’t an easy race to manage, but everyone played their part to execute such a solid two-stop strategy with Nico. Great teamwork to reclaim sixth place in the Constructors’; it was an incredible comeback after that terrible result in Brazil.” – he concluded.
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