Haas boss Guenther Steiner: “Kevin Magnussen is mentally a lot stronger than he was years ago”

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has praised Kevin Magnussen for his mental strength and maturity.

After driving for the team between 2017 and 2020, they parted ways as the North Carolina-headquartered side hedged their bets on young drivers like Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to a domino effect that saw Haas terminate their contract with Mazepin not long before the 2022 Formula 1 season got underway. The team then turned to Magnussen, who accepted a return to Formula 1 and didn't look out of place from the get-go.

Despite barely featuring in pre-season testing, the 30-year-old impressed by finishing fifth in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. He also scored a maiden pole position for Haas at the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP and finished the season with 25 points.

Steiner believes that Magnussen is more mature now, compared to his first stint with the team. He told Autosport:

“It’s age, being a dad, being called back instead of begging to get a seat is a different story as well. It plays with your mind as well. It gives a lot of confidence. This is a lot about how you are mentally strong. I think at the moment, he’s just mentally a lot stronger than he was years ago.”

Magnussen will enter the 2023 campaign with a new teammate after Haas decided to part ways with the young Mick Schumacher and hire veteran Nico Hulkenberg, who has not raced full-time since 2019.

Steiner also pointed to the experience of the Dane's new full-time race engineer, Mark Slade. He told the official F1 website:

“He’s just matured, you know, by getting older. We all get calmer and see things sometimes a little bit differently. He’s most of the time very relaxed about things, and now with the combination of Mark with him, I hope in the future we will see even a better Kevin.”

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Haas take crucial first step heading into 2023 Formula 1 season

Haas' chassis and nose for the VF-23 have passed FIA tests and are officially homologated in what is a huge step for the team ahead of the 2023 F1 season.

According to the rules, any new part that is to be introduced in the car needs to be homologated by the FIA and cannot be used until then. The FIA approval will mean the team can move forward with building the car for the upcoming campaign.