25/08/2023
NEWS STORY
Having retained Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg for 2024, Haas boss, Guenther Steiner admits that he never talked to any other drivers.
For the Dane, it is his second season after being brought back in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine which saw the American team drop title sponsor Uralkali and driver Nikita Mazepin, while Nico Hulkenberg replaces Mick Schumacher.
For the most part the German has out-performed his teammate, nonetheless, Steiner insists that he never considered looking elsewhere.
"It was pretty straight forward since a few months," said the Italian. "Nico, at the start of the year we didn't do a two-year contract because we didn't know how he comes back. But he came back very strong.
"I think we have got the driver pairing we can get at the moment with our financials and with our attractiveness of car," he added. "I never actually spoke to anyone else."
For 2021, Haas opted to run two rookies, Mazepin and Schumacher, when asked why he didn't try to run another this season, alongside a more experienced driver, Steiner said: "If you look around at the options, there's not a lot without risk. And I don't want to take any risk at the moment because I don't think that's appropriate.
"You can take a risk if the risk is worthwhile to take," he continued, "but at the moment, we want stability. We have got one part of the team sorted out well with the drivers, in my opinion. Now we have to work to work on the car to sort that one out. You go step by step.
"Last year, the drivers were a concern. This year, they are not a concern. Next year, they will not be a concern. Good, tick the box and move on to the next thing you have to improve.
"I think rookies coming in... I think my character is more for someone who has done it," he admitted. "I assume everybody is better than me. When you assume that, sometimes it's like, 'What are you saying? Why don't you understand that?'
"With them both I can speak freely. It doesn't mean we always agree on everything, but I'm fine with it. We agree to disagree and move on, we are not falling out about it or not questioning 'what did you say, what did I say'.
"When we talk to the press, I say sometimes, if you're unhappy with something, say it. You can get attacked from me but don't get upset. I don't get upset. I can tell them and they know the language I'm talking. They've both been here a long time.
"It's different. They know more. They're older as persons as the rookies were. They're young guys with a lot less life experience as well."
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