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Formula 1 Japanese GP
Haas says improved pace down to understanding new front wing
Haas F1 boss Gunther Steiner says the team getting to grips with the new front wing it had introduced in Singapore was a big factor in its stellar qualifying at Suzuka.
Valentin Khorounzhiy
Edited: Oct 8, 2016, 4:10 PM
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The Haas cars of Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez will line up eighth and 10th for the Japanese Grand Prix, as the duo both broke into Q3 for the first time in the American team's history.
The performance was a noticeable upturn for a team that has not scored points since Austria and has been absent from the final qualifying segment since its maiden appearance with Gutierrez at Monza.
Asked to account for the pace upgrade, Steiner said: "I think it's mostly down to the new front wing that we brought to Singapore.
"We used it for the first time here, what I would call, 'properly'. We always had issues and, if you start the weekend in FP1 with mechanical issues, you don't have time to evaluate, to get the data from [upgrades], so you try to do your homework on what the tyres are doing and you don't focus on development parts.
"It was the first time we could use it and get real data and understand it, and I think that was one of the main things.
"I'm sure our car for this type of track is also better suited than on other tracks, slower ones - everything came together, the stars aligned."
Gutierrez offered a similar explanation, saying: "We are using the front wing, which we were not able to use previously.
"It wasn't very straightforward in Singapore so we didn't really go for it. Then in Malaysia I don't remember what kept us from using it, it was more related to a detail on the wing that we had to solve - and we solved it last night, the team found a solution, and put it on the car.
"In Suzuka, you need a lot of downforce, the front wing worked well, we put everything together and we are there, both in Q3. Quite surprising, but it's a reality now."
Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble and Frankie Mao
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