"He's very happy": Kevin Magnussen's strong performance in Miami has helped his confidence

F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Practice
Kevin Magnussen walks in the paddock prior to practice ahead of the 2023 F1 Miami Grand Prix. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Haas team boss Guenther Steiner stated that Kevin Magnussen is in a great place mentally, especially after a decent result in the 2023 F1 Miami GP. The Danish driver finished 10th in the race after starting from fourth.

Though Magnussen was way ahead at the start, he was well aware that other top teams would overtake him eventually. He was also able to fight the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Steiner recalled how Kevin Magnussen was struggling with the balance of the car at the start of the season. The Haas boss said:

"At the beginning of the year, he was a little bit struggling with his balance of the car. He couldn't get the feel for it. But I spoke with him I think it was end of last week and he said he was in a very good place in Miami with the car. He's very happy. So I think he knows now where to start the weekend setup-wise and move on from there."

Steiner highlighted how Kevin Magnussen was in a positive place after Miami, where he drove valiantly and even overtook Charles Leclerc in one of the laps. The Haas team principal knows that the streets of Monaco require a lot of confidence from drivers. Hence, he is happy to see an upbeat Magnussen after the Miami GP.

Steiner said:

"He's a good position also confidence-wise after Miami especially. I mean, can you imagine how many people told him how great that was, you know, and that always, you know, it's always good for the ego as somebody tells you how great of a job you did, the survival that normally carries a few races."
"So hopefully, he can get comfortable quick with the car in Monte Carlo. Because as we said before, it's a lot that's about confidence on the streets."

Kevin Magnussen feels Haas should mimic Aston Martin to jump forward in F1

Aston Martin has been a shocking surprise for every midfield team, as they propelled themselves to the top of the grid in just a year. This proved that any midfield team could also jump forward with the right car and development.

Kevin Magnussen recently urged Haas to follow the same path and said:

“We knew we were going to take a step with the car this year and we were confident about that, and it shows on the track. We do have that performance that we were hoping for. Other teams have just done a really good job, too. So we’re still in that mix of the midfield. Of course, we would love to be towards the top, taking a big step like Aston Martin. But that’s what we’ve got to aim to do in the future.”

Haas will take some time to reach the level at with Aston Martin is operating at. However, Kevin Magnussen believes that his team can still move forward.

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