Haas: Lack of pace in Spanish GP qualifying “a mystery"
Haas Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean says his lack of pace in Spanish Grand Prix qualifying is “a bit of a mystery” after showing “genuine” pace in Friday practice.
Grosjean and teammate Kevin Magnussen both failed to get through Q1, Magnussen starting in 16th, one place ahead of Grosjean.
The result is on par with their previous qualifying performances in 2020, but after a promising Friday the pair were hoping for much more.
Grosjean was an impressive fifth in FP2 with a time of 1.18.1, but after an overnight engine change he struggled to improve on that time.
While Haas’ midfield rivals all found plenty of pace, Grosjean only managed a 1.18.089 in Q1, reporting a lot of understeer.
The Frenchman says his understeer issues and the subsequent lack of pace were “a bit of a mystery”. “
From FP3 I just felt like the car didn’t quite react the same way,” Grosjean explained.
"Obviously an understeery car is slow here in sector three. We’re looking at everything, trying to understand, but it’s a bit of a mystery.
"[Friday] it was better than we ever thought it could be, but the car basically came back to exactly where it was pre-Silverstone.
"It’s just not performing very well and when you can’t trust the front end going into a corner.”
Grosjean believes his fifth place on Friday was genuine and even thought a spot in Q3 was on the cards.
“We didn’t run a dissimilar programme to what we normally do in FP1 and FP2, so the pace was genuine. I really thought we had a chance to go into Q3,” he added.
Team principal Gunther Steiner believes Ferrari's lack of powerful qualifying engine modes, which are set to be banned from the Belgian Grand Prix. has contributed to his drivers being shuffled down the pack.
"I think a lot of people can put a qualifying mode. When we turn it up there is only a little bit we can turn up on the engine side.
"[Friday] was obviously a good day and it was nothing we did strange or stupid. We just lost the performance over the day. Our drivers just had a lot of understeer.”
Unlike last weekend’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, where Max Verstappen’s choice for the hardest compound in Q2 proved key to the Dutchman's victory, strategical options in Spain appear relatively limited.
Pirelli’s hardest C1 tyre has been an unpopular compound up and down the paddock. All frontrunners opted for the softest available compounds in qualifying.
Grosjean acknowledged Haas will have to try something else if it wants to challenge for points.
“If we do a normal race as everyone else, we go nowhere”, Grosjean admitted. “We sometimes have to make the tyre last longer than others, or try different things. I don’t mind it, it’s quite cool, and at least we’re trying.”
Steiner thinks Haas’ promising long run pace provides some hope.
“I think if you look at our race pace in FP2, it was pretty good, “he added.
"We need to wait and see if we can put it into proper race pace. Hopefully we have good starts and we don’t get stuck in the big traffic jam because it’s not easy to overtake as well here.”
Kevin Magnussen said it was unlikely that any team will be able to make a one-stop strategy work in the searing Spanish heat.
“It’s going to be very difficult to pull off a one stop”, the Dane said.
“Whoever can do that will have track position. It’s going to be a pretty good run if you can pull it off, but I don’t know if anyone can do that."
Related video
Hamilton: Wolff’s future talks won't impact my F1 plans
Why TV made Senna's qualifying laps look so fast
Why Red Bull can win a Spanish GP that looked perfect for Ferrari
Formula 1's return to Spain on Friday ended with Ferrari leading the way from Mercedes, while Red Bull could only manage third fastest overall courtesy of Max Verstappen. But its chances of victory are far from remote with a deeper dig into the times despite Ferrari's strong start...
The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
The VW Group’s German superpowers of sportscar racing have all but confirmed they are coming to F1 when the next set of engine rules come into force in 2026. Here's why both manufacturers are all set to take the plunge, and crucially how it might work
How Vegas went from byword for F1 indifference to grand Liberty coup
Holding a race in Las Vegas – party central, a city of dreams and decadence and, yes, more than a smattering of tackiness – has been on Liberty Media’s most-wanted list since it acquired Formula 1’s commercial rights. But, as LUKE SMITH explains, F1 has been here before and the relationship didn’t work out
Why de Vries' FP1 outing could add a new path to his current crossroads
A Formula 2 and Formula E champion, Nyck de Vries is currently considering where his future in motorsport lies. Continuing in WEC and Formula E is possible and he's also courted glances Stateside after impressing in an IndyCar test. But ahead of his Formula 1 FP1 debut with Williams, he could have another option if he impresses...
Why Leclerc's crash shouldn't put off F1 drivers tasting history
OPINION: For a demo run ahead of Monaco's Historique Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc was blessed with the opportunity to drive Niki Lauda's former Ferrari 312B3 - but a brake failure at Rascasse suggested Leclerc's Monaco hoodoo transcended contemporary F1. Although an awkward incident, Leclerc deserves credit for embracing F1's history.
Why the lack of "needle" between Red Bull and Ferrari is a mirage
OPINION: The fight for the 2022 Formula 1 world titles between Red Bull and Ferrari so far features little of the public animosity that developed between the former and Mercedes last year. But that isn’t to say things are full on friendly or won’t get much worse very quickly…
The underdog F1 squad that thrust Senna into the limelight
The Toleman TG184 was the car that could, according to legend, have given Ayrton Senna his first F1 win but for Alain Prost and Jacky Ickx at Monaco in 1984. That could be stretching the boundaries of the truth a little, but as STUART CODLING explains, the team's greatest legacy was in giving the Brazilian prodigy passed over by bigger outfits an opportunity
Why Aston Martin is unlikely to repeat Jaguar’s F1 mistakes
Two famous manufacturer teams born out of humble midfield origins, splashing the cash while attempting to rise to the top of F1 in record time. There are clear parallels between Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin and the doomed Jaguar Racing project of 22 years ago, but Mark Gallagher believes struggling Aston can avoid a similar fate.