After Kevin Magnussen left Haas at the end of 2020, the team set up what was dubbed a ‘Haas hub’ in Maranello, at Ferrari headquarters, with more staff from the Italian team moving to the American, to form a department headed by technical director Simone Resta .
The change has allowed Haas to further strengthen its ties with Ferrari, as the team had already sourced all possible components from the Italian manufacturer allowed by the regulations for use in its F1 car.
The team’s notable improvements in 2022 have been partly attributed to this change, scoring a total of 15 points in the opening races of the season, having picked up a combined total of just three points between the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
Rival teams have raised concerns about Haas’s close collaboration with Ferrari, despite the fact that no formal complaint has been lodged with the FIA, but this set-up of the teams has been reviewed and approved by F1’s governing body.
Magnussen believes the changes have been able to bring the different departments closer together and help the team improve the pace of car development.
“Yes, it has been a good change for the team,” said the Danish driver, referring to Haas ‘ base in Maranello .
“In the year I’ve been away, they’ve moved. Now, there’s a bigger group in Maranello, I think that helps communication between the different departments, being able to go and talk to each other.”
“Our team for all those years [Magnussen’s early days at Haas] was spread all over the world: in the United States; and then two places in Italy and one in England, so [it was] very separate. And I think, In terms of communication, it’s easier when you can go to a colleague’s workplace and have a chat,” he explained.
“So it’s better, and [the team] has also grown, and we have more people and it feels better. And of course the car shows that too. At Haas they say [the team] is in a good place.”
After a strong start to 2022 scoring points at three of the first four rounds, Magnussen and teammate Mick Schumacher have failed to finish inside the top 10 in the last three rounds, with neither driver able to finish in Monaco.
