Haas can overtake Renault in the constructors’ championship through on-track performance as well as its court appeal, according to team principal Guenther Steiner.

Renault lodged a protest at the Italian Grand Prix against the legality of Romain Grosjean’s car, resulting in the Frenchman being excluded from sixth place. The gap between the two teams is 11 points after Kevin Magnussen scored four in Russia, but if a Haas appeal against Grosjean’s appeal is successful that will reduce to just a solitary point, and Steiner wants to regain the points lost in Italy as well as outscoring Renault in the remaining five rounds.

“We have got two chances — we can overtake them in court or we can overtake them on the racetrack,” Steiner said. “So we will try to do both of those, and hopefully we can overtake them with both.

“On the racetrack for sure we will try, we have got five races to go, five times four (points), you know how much that is… So we are in good spirits and we will just keep on fighting like we always do. We will try to get them on all sides.”

Haas is now without uncertainty regarding its driver line-up after confirming Grosjean and Magnussen will be retained next season, and Steiner believes that stability will also be a strength of the team in the final part of the year.

“It’s the best it can be. Everybody knows what we’re doing, and we can focus on trying to get fourth place in the constructors’ standings. There are no negatives, only positives.

“It’s difficult to say how much it influences, but for sure it is helpful. Consistency for a team is very good, provided you have the right consistency in the quality of the people. Anything new you do, people need to adapt, and there is a learning period which normally means it’s not taking you forward. At best, it keeps you where you are. It takes time to jell and to work together in any position in the team, especially with the drivers.”