Kevin Magnussen has revealed that Haas have an interesting rule this season to ensure that both himself and new team-mate Nico Hulkenberg don’t “get in each other’s way”, with the Dane having shared that the duo aren’t allowed to “fight each other”.
Haas are certainly targeting to move further into the midfield this season, with the introduction of such a rule likely due to the fact that the field is incredibly close this year.
Next to nothing has separated five teams so far this season, with the likes of McLaren, AlphaTauri, Williams, Alfa Romeo, and Haas having all demonstrated points-worthy pace.
The Americans are keen to finish higher than eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, with that having been one of the reasons why Mick Schumacher was dropped for Hulkenberg, with the 35-year-old boasting considerably more experience.
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After the opening two rounds it does appear that Haas boss Guenther Steiner made the correct decision in dropping Schumacher, given that Hulkenberg has already made one Q3 appearance this season.
Haas have shown good pace already this year and do appear to have improved since last season; however, they currently only have one-point to celebrate thanks to Magnussen.
The Danish driver finished 10th at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Haas finding themselves seventh currently in the Constructors’ Championship as a result.
The pairing of Magnussen and Hulkenberg so far does look like it could be a promising one, with the hope being that they can go on a run of scoring points in consecutive races.
By not battling each other, the team do have a greater chance of finishing higher up the order, with Magnussen understanding why the rule has been put in place by Haas.
“We don’t really want to get in each other’s way after the first lap,” Magnussen said, as quoted by Speed Week.
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“It’s just about finding out who has more speed. At Haas, we have a rule that we don’t fight each other.
“I can push to try to keep him behind me, but I can’t close the door or anything like that.
“So it’s just about being nice to each other and making sure that we work for the team and not for ourselves.”