The opening stint of the 2024 Formula One Canadian Grand Prix weekend was incredibly exciting for the Haas duo.
Haas took the gamble and put both of their cars on extreme wets at the start of the race. Nico Hülkenberg from P17 (+9) and Kevin Magnussen from P14 (+10) climbed through the field in the opening three laps, while the other eighteen drivers struggled on the intermediate tyres for grip.
Unfortunately it did not really help the German overall. Haas extended his wet tyre stint to lap 12, losing him a lot of time. He rejoined in P19.
“It paid off. I don’t know, the first, I don’t know, maybe 10 laps we were gaining a lot and picking up a lot of positions. But obviously then eventually it stopped raining and it dried out and it kind of, it got reversed or undone, all the work we did.”
Despite the limited success of the first ten laps, Hülkenberg thought that the timing to go on slicks was correct. He managed to overcut his teammate, Bottas and Gasly.
“I think we were a bit unlucky with the first safety car. But yeah, I don’t remember exactly now.
“Timing to go on slicks was good, not on the early side because it was difficult in sector one mostly.”
When asked whether he thinks that it was a missed opportunity, Hülkenberg stated that the possibility of good points was no longer on the table as a result of his starting position.
“I don’t think in the race there is a missed opportunity. The missed opportunity was yesterday and generally all weekend.”
In his post-qualifying interview, Hülkenberg had said his VF-24 wasn’t working correctly, explaining how the aero load on his car was not the same as Magnussen’s. They changed the rear wing and floor ahead of qualifying.
“The problem we’ve had on my car that somehow it’s not, I think, fully healthy on the aero side or somewhere. I still feel after the race, that I have a problem with it, that is not fully at 100% where it’s supposed to be.
“But obviously you do what you can with what you have. But yeah, obviously also not having the Friday, not having time to react after that, it’s just all together a difficult weekend with the circumstances.”
The 36-year-old also discussed the hairy moments he had during the race. As well as big drift at one point in turn 2, he almost ended up in the same as well as Logan Sargeant.
He almost had a moment with RB’s Yuki Tsunoda when the Japanese driver spun in the last few laps of the race.
“It was a couple of moments, ‘I have it, no, I have it, no’. I let go of the steering because it was full opposite lock and I was about, I think, to grab for the clutch and then somehow it stopped and I was able to catch it.
“But yeah, that was one of them and almost went out of turn four earlier when it was still more wet, lost it there. But still managed to get it.”
After the disastrous opening lap in Monaco, taking the chequered flag in Canada should have been a relief. But the weekend was marred by issues and just an overall lack of performance.
“Yeah, I mean, not really because I think the whole weekend, especially on my side of the garage, from lap one, I didn’t feel right and happy with the car, and we need to investigate what was going on, because that really compromised our weekend.”
Hülkenberg also bemoaned his Q1 exit. The German has generally been outstanding in qualifying since his return, and it’s likely points would have been available in Canada had he qualified where he normally does.
“Qualifying cost us a better result today because I’m sure with the better quali that we normally have, if we start further ahead, we would have scored points today. So it’s kind of a missed opportunity.”
Despite the tricky conditions, Haas was not in a position to capitalise on the chaos, Hülkenberg finished the race in P11, just behind the Alpines.
