Kevin Magnussen says Haas’ 2019 results emphasise the nature of its “pretty impressive” 2018 achievements, which he believes the team must aspire to replicate moving forwards.
Haas classified eighth in the Constructors’ Championship in its first two seasons before vaulting to fifth last year, challenging Renault for ‘best of the rest’ in the process.
But this season it has endured problems with its recalcitrant VF-19, particularly in race trim, while a lack of consistency combined with poor development has also blunted its charge.
Haas enters the final two rounds a lowly ninth in the standings and needs to out-score Alfa Romeo by seven points if it is to climb up to eighth and avoid its worst-ever classification.
“We’ve had an off-year this year, which isn’t great, but we finished fifth in the championship last year which isn’t easy,” said Magnussen.
“That was a pretty impressive thing to be doing in the third year of the team.
“Toro Rosso have never done it, never finished fifth, so we’ve already finished higher than Toro Rosso has ever done.
“Very quickly people start to forget that, and even we do, we want more all the time.
“Sometimes it’s good to just stop and look back and see we have actually done really well and we can do that again.”
Magnussen reiterated his confidence that Haas can emerge from its slump in 2020 courtesy of the work it has undertaken through this season.
“We’re still learning stuff but we’ve got to a point where we understand our problem, we’re testing stuff for next year,” he said.
“It’s really shifted focus and of course [we are] trying to get everything we can out of this car while this season is still going.
“But in terms of development and research it’s all next year. I’m very positive about it.”
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