Haas F1 rookie Nikita Mazepin has revealed what “suddenly” compromised his debut season in the pinnacle of motorsport.
The Russian is currently last in the Drivers’ Standings and he has been comprehensively outpaced by team-mate Mick Schumacher.
Speaking this week, Mazepin said he believes his season has improved after he recently switched to a new chassis.
“A bit of both [the new chassis and better pace],” Mazepin said.
“In the Bahrain tests before the season, my pace was very good. I made only a few mistakes and was very consistent.
“Then I got a different chassis for the first free practice and suddenly everything was sh*t. It took a while until we realised the problems.
“The team also had to learn to trust a new driver. Of course, I could have been a bit faster. But as Niki [Lauda] always said: ‘You learn more from the bad days than from the good days.’
“Maybe it had something good. I had to learn not only how to drive, but also to stay strong in my head.”
Mazepin went on to say that he prefers to give up a bit of speed in qualifying to give himself a better car on race day.
“It’s definitely a trend in my career. I have a good feeling in the car and I know how to win in a duel.
“Most people only look at the qualifying score, but it’s all about scoring a lot of points in the race.
“I’d rather give something away in qualifying for better tyre wear. Besides, I never give up and usually strike at the end when others are struggling.”
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