Haas eager to bounce back after disastrous Monaco round

Following a brief and disastrous race at the Monaco Grand Prix, Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg are intent on displaying a much better performance and securing a good result.

Haas endured a difficult weekend in Monaco. The American outfit struggled for pace in qualifying, and their race ended only after a single corner with Kevin Magnussen having tangled with Red Bull driver Sergio Perez.

With Monte Carlo hardly offering any overtaking opportunities, the 78-lap race was always going to be a difficult race for Magnussen and his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, but more aching was for Haas the damage the two cars suffered during the crash which puts the team in a difficult position under the current financial regulations.

The American team's German driver said that the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of his favourites: "I love Montreal and it’s probably my favorite track on the calendar.

"I love where it is on the little island, the drive into the circuit in the morning, and the atmosphere in Montreal. It gets me every year and I just really enjoy it here.

Hulkenberg has a strong track record at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with points at six of his last seven starts, and last year finishing in second position during qualifying – with the German subsequently starting from P5 after he received a 3-place grid penalty.

"The circuit has a very cool flow, even though it’s pretty flat – it doesn’t have elevation changes – but the rhythm of the track is very unique and hits the spot for me. Last year was very positive, especially the Saturday, as Sunday we just weren’t competitive and slipped back.

"I look forward to hitting the track and this year we’re in a much better position and we should be able to translate a good qualifying into a race result.”

His team-mate Kevin Magnussen said that he has never had a successful F1 weekend in Montreal, but he loves the unique characteristics of the 4.3km track. The Dane has started seven grands prix in Canada and claimed points on his first visit in 2014.

“Montreal is another great track and another classic I’d say, although it doesn’t have the history of Monaco or Monza, for example. It’s definitely a driver’s track as well, flying over the kerbs and braking late into the chicanes.

"It’s great racing there with good opportunities for overtaking, and overall, it’s just a great place to go. The city is awesome, the food, hotels, and the fans – I’ve got nothing bad to say! I don’t think I’ve ever had a fantastic weekend there yet though, so I’m aiming for that this season.”

The 4.36km circuit, named after Canada’s late Formula 1 hero, is known for its full-throttle blasts, medium-speed chicanes, and a smattering of heavy braking zones. It means teams must unlock a set-up that facilitates high top-end speed, while drivers need confidence to be able to attack the chicanes, and their aggressive curbs, while giving breathing room to the concrete walls which line the layout.

Team boss Ayao Komatsu commented: “Montreal is a pretty unique circuit, it’s a street circuit. It’s got lots of low speed corners, change of direction and it’s quite unforgiving for making mistakes as well. The downforce level is lower than some of the other tracks, so combining that with characteristics of the VF-24, I think it’s good that there’s a lack of high-speed corners because that’s clearly our weakness.

The Japanese claimed that a strong car under braking, and poised traction out of the slow-speed sections, is also critical to hooking up a hot lap around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"In low-speed, car balance is key, so we need to get that right. In terms of downforce level, I think we’re more competitive in lower downforce circuits so far this year than higher downforce, because of the efficiency of the car we’ve got so I think that’s another positive.

"The main takeaway is that yes, Montreal is quite a specific circuit with the layout and downforce level, the high demand on the brakes, low speed and change of direction, but having said that, with what we’ve seen over the last eight races with the robustness of the car, I think we can fight for points," he said.