Guenther Steiner believes the FIA must take more consistent decisions in the future, explaining his frustration at some of the penalties awarded by the stewards last year.
Specifically, the Haas team principal has been vocal about the penalties awarded by the FIA for damaged parts during the race – with this sentence being handed most often to Kevin Magnussen.
These penalties proved costly for Haas, with Kevin Magnussen running in a position to score points in both the Canadian and Singapore GP before being forced to stop early and address his wing damage.
This motivated Haas to push for the FIA to punish Fernando Alonso at the American GP, suggesting that the Spaniard’s mirror (which eventually fell off) should have been changed due to the damage it sustained.
Kevin Magnussen (DEN) Haas VF-22.
23.04.2022. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 4, Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Imola, Italy, Sprint Day.
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After initially succeeding in their protest against the Double World Champion, Alpine was able to get the decision overturned and restore Alonso’s P7 result.
Needless to say that Guenther Steiner was unhappy with this decision, especially given the negative impact on similar incidents for his team.
As quoted by motorsport.com, the Haas boss expressed his frustrations regarding the decisions made by the stewards:
“There is still a lot of work to be done, in my opinion. It’s not like everything is sorted now. I think in race control, there is a lot of margin to do better.
“We saw the last races [of last year] there were some decisions taken which I think need to be addressed.
CIRCUIT PAUL RICARD, FRANCE – JULY 23: Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1, on the pit wall during the French GP at Circuit Paul Ricard on Saturday July 23, 2022 in Le Castellet, France. (Photo by Alastair Staley / LAT Images)
“This is not how it should be. We got penalised, and then they changed the rules. Nobody else ever got penalised, and the rule was changed…
“Your system is flawed because the rules are not the same for everybody, and I think how it was handled from race control was not good.”
Steiner’s criticism is understandable, especially considering how closely matched the midfield pack was last season.
With the 2023 season fast approaching, Haas will hope to improve on their respectable P8 finish in the standings last year and make further strides up the midfield.
Haas failed to introduce meaningful upgrades last season, so the American squad will be eager to capitalize on their healthier financial situation and improve their production capacities.
This will be an important season for Haas to lay the foundations for the ascent up the field, so time will tell if they can establish themselves in the midfield.
