Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has admitted that he will “start thinking” about the team’s 2024 driver line-up once Formula 1 returns from the summer break later in the year, with Kevin Magnussen ultimately having until then to improve.
After being Haas’ dominant driver by far last season alongside Mick Schumacher, Magnussen has so far struggled against new team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, who has been exceptional since returning to the sport.
Prior to his move to Haas, Hulkenberg hadn’t completed a full F1 season since 2019, when he raced for Renault.
The German has shown rapid pace in qualifying and strong consistency during the races, with him having already claimed six points from the opening three races.
Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies
Magnussen on the other hand, has claimed just one-point this year so far, meaning he “needs to catch up with Nico”.
Steiner doesn’t believe the Dane has “lost confidence” but he does reckon the 30-year-old needs to get a message into his head, in a bid to perform as well as Hulkenberg.
“After the summer break, I won’t start panicking but I’ll just start thinking what to do,” Steiner told the media, as reported by Total-motorsport.com.
“I wouldn’t say he’s lost confidence, I think he needs to get just in his head that he needs to catch up with Nico.”
The position Magnussen finds himself in is very similar to the one that Schumacher had to deal with throughout last season, after the German often finished behind the Danish driver.
As a result of finishing behind Magnussen so often, Schumacher was dropped by Haas, with there perhaps being the chance that Magnussen could suffer the same fate if his performances don’t improve.
Steiner isn’t too worried just yet and does believe Magnussen “can do it”; however, the Italian admits that “it’s down to him” to up his game.
READ: NASCAR driver reacts to Fernando Alonso dating Taylor Swift
“Every driver firstly wants to beat their teammate, that’s what everybody wants to do because he knows that the car is capable to do it and you’re behind him,” Steiner added.
“I think he can do it. He’s in good spirit. You know, I don’t see him down or anything, that is encouraging for me. He’s not like beaten up, like ‘I cannot do this’.
“But it’s down to him to do it. I think he’s got the security, the car is the same, you can look at what Nico is doing.”