Kevin Magnussen has asserted the 2024 Formula 1 season represents the first time that Haas has introduced upgrades that have improved its car’s competitiveness.
Haas has headed into the summer break having produced an impressive campaign to date with 25 points in 14 rounds more than the 12 that it picked up all last term.
The American squad is situated seven points behind sixth-place RB in the Constructors’ Championship, exceeding pre-season predictions that it would be at the back.
Magnussen believes that bringing developments that have enhanced the pace within the VF-24 has been instrumental in Haas remaining competitive versus its rivals.
“I think coming into this year we thought we were going to be the last team on the grid and we haven’t been, so I think it’s been a positive surprise,” Magnussen said.
“There’s always, when you look back at this stuff, things you could have done better but I think everyone can say that, so I feel like we’ve had a good first half of the season.
“The second half I think with the couple of upgrades we’ve had this year, they’ve actually worked.
“And it’s the first time in Haas’ history that we brought upgrades to the car that made it faster.
“So that’s a real step forward there already. So hopefully we can keep that going. We’re on a good trend, I think. So hopefully we can just keep that going.”
Magnussen is competing in his seventh and last season with Haas, split across two spells as financial trouble in the pandemic saw him ousted once 2020 concluded.
The Dane has expressed that he was concerned whether Haas was going to survive during those perilous times, but the squad is now in a much more stable position.
“Around Covid it really looked dismal,” he recalled. “It looked like the team was really in trouble. They had to get rid of both me and [Romain] Grosjean. On the basis of that.
“And take in drivers that could help them survive [with rookies Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher]. At that time I didn’t know what was going to happen to Haas.
“But the situation they’re in now is completely different to back then. Much more sustainable this team right now than it was. And also a lot more competitive.
“I think if you look at the trajectory also on track in terms of performance. It’s the first time that we’re actually making progress throughout the season.
“Other years we’ve kind of started the year with a good car. And then just not made progress. Because it’s just been too difficult to run a season and develop at the same time.
“Whereas they [other teams] go into the winter and they have more resource. They can take the people that usually are focused on the race. And everything becomes more quiet.
“But this year it seems like we can do both. Race fairly well and also develop at the same time.”
Haas remains the newest and smallest entrant on the F1 grid, with the team continuing to utilise a technical partnership with Ferrari to source non-listed components.
Magnussen is convinced that Haas is heading in a positive direction under team boss Ayeo Komatsu as it bids to continue overcoming more established competitors.
Asked to compare the team he came into back in 2017 to the one that he will depart in December, Magnussen answered: “Much more established.
“I think when I joined, maybe I expected things to change quicker.
“We came into Formula 1 with this model that hadn’t been seen before of outsourcing as much as possible and buying all the parts the regs allowed.
“And then for a while it didn’t really evolve. I think recently it’s started to really evolve.
“I think that’s an exciting process and I do believe this team has a bright future.
“If you look at the structure that’s been in place since the beginning, the results have been quite impressive given the resource and the number of people.
“It’s been an overachievement. I know Gene always wants more and that’s why he is in the position he is.
“But actually I think as a pat on the shoulder to all the people in this team, I think they’ve really overachieved in terms of what they had to work with.”
