Haas F1 Team principal Guenther Steiner says that right now there are more questions than answers about the fifth-year Formula 1 team's prospects for 2020.

Last year, hopes were high for another good season, after Haas finished fifth overall in the F1 constructors' championship standings in 2018. However, the 2019 car, while often competitive over a single lap, just as often slumped and became one of the slowest cars overall in the race. The team finished a disappointing ninth in the 2019 standings.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Steiner says he knows Haas must turn things around this season.

Kevin Magnussen takes his turn on the track in Barcelona on Thursday. Mark Thompson Getty Images

"We don't have any requirements from (team owner) Gene Haas in terms of position, we just have to do better," Steiner said. "The situation of last year was so difficult, for me personally even. If you are one of the fastest 10 in qualifying and then last after 20 laps, that is certainly not a pleasure."

However, the 2020 Haas car has not appeared to be quick in winter testing.

"We want to return to where we were, even if we don't do as well as we did in 2018," Steiner said. "We want to at least perform consistently during a race weekend and, of course, do as well as possible."



Kevin Magnussen told Ekstra Bladet newspaper that the 2020 car at least feels better than the 2019 one.

"The car has the potential to go very fast, and it's almost hard not to do it because you then destroy the tires. But that was not the case last year. Then, the car just got slower. Now it seems that we can at least handle the tires. They react differently and there is some learning to do there, but it is a good sign that it is different."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

However, Magnussen said he doesn't know where Haas is in the 2020 pecking order.

"The potential is there," said Magnussen, "but we are not one of the big teams that can figure out exactly where we are. In fact, we don't know at all. If we had driven as fast as we could and we were still where we are right now, then we would be nervous."

Racing Point, another midfield team in 2019 (seventh in the standings), has taken a massive step forward with its new car that is being called the "Pink Mercedes."

Magnussen hopes that the Haas F1 Team can move up in the standings this F1 season. Marco Canoniero Getty Images

"It's never nice to see one of your rivals taking a big step like that," Magnussen said. "But we don't know what they are doing with the fuel and the engine power. We may be close, but we also may be very far away."

Of the other cars, Magnussen said Williams has been a big mover since the team's abysmal 2019 season, when it finished below Haas in the standings in 10th.

"When you consider where they were last year, I would say that they have done some impressive times," Magnussen said.

