MoneyGram Haas F1 Staff’s 2023 FIA System 1 World Championship marketing campaign will proceed with Spherical 18, the Qatar Grand Prix, on the Lusail Worldwide Circuit.
System 1 marked new territory in 2021 when it visited Qatar for the primary time, with long-term MotoGP venue Lusail internet hosting the championship. After a break in 2022 for Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup, System 1 has returned to the Gulf island state, and to a renovated and refreshed Lusail. The circuit format has not been altered since 2021’s debut however the amenities have been upgraded to satisfy System 1’s requirements, with a brand new pits and paddock advanced, revamped environment for elevated spectator capability, whereas the occasion itself turns into a fully-fledged evening race.
This yr’s occasion marks the primary in a 10-season deal between System 1 and organizers in Qatar, sealing Lusail’s place on the calendar for the long term.
Lusail is named a high-energy circuit, with sequences of medium- and high-speed long-radius turns linked by full-throttle blasts. Solely as soon as throughout the course of a qualifying lap across the 5.4km 16-turn circuit do drivers have to dip under fourth gear, with Lusail’s biggest problem coming by way of Turns 12-13-14, three right-hand corners taken in seventh gear at fast succession. That places a excessive vitality load by way of the tires, even in cooler night-time circumstances, whereas the scenario is accentuated by the necessity to make the most of the aggressive entry and exit curbs for max apex pace.
Neither MoneyGram Haas F1 Staff drivers Kevin Magnussen nor Nico Hulkenberg have ever tackled the Lusail Worldwide Circuit in System 1 equipment, having been absent from the grid in 2021, when the circuit hosted its sole System 1 occasion thus far. Hulkenberg nonetheless has beforehand pushed, and gained, at Lusail, having claimed victory within the GP2 Asia Collection in 2009.
The Qatar Grand Prix would be the fourth of six F1 Dash occasions in 2023, the primary time that the revised weekend format has been run at Lusail.
The Singapore Grand Prix supplied the highlights of the current Singapore-Japan double-header – with the workforce touchdown each vehicles in Q3 and Kevin Magnussen piloting his VF-23 to a hard-earned tenth place end and a precious level. Capturing one thing, as was the case in Singapore, when it wasn’t essentially anticipated – how a lot of that’s all the way down to the mentality of the workforce in with the ability to efficiently seize these alternatives when offered with them?Guenther Steiner: “We all know our automotive and that we’re struggling in the meanwhile within the race, everyone seems to be properly conscious of this. At all times, the entire workforce tries to do their greatest, beginning with the drivers, to the mechanics and engineers, squeezing every little thing out of what we have. Then when the chance is there, we get some extent or at the least we get one thing from qualifying. When you have a look at our pit stops within the final races, they have been fairly good. Hats off to the workforce as they preserve their heads up and carry on pushing as they know higher days are forward.”
The Japanese Grand Prix supplied extra of a actuality examine given the well-documented challenges with the VF-23 in its present guise. How do you personally handle what can usually be a roller-coaster of feelings from one race weekend to the following?GS: “It is quite simple, simply look ahead and know what we’re doing as a workforce. We’re working onerous to get out of this gap and that is what motivates me on daily basis of the week. I would not be right here if I did not know we’re working onerous and getting higher to the place we wish to be and must be.”
This weekend is just the second-ever go to to Qatar for System 1 – with the game making its debut on the monitor again in November 2021. What have been your first impressions of the circuit and what do you stay up for on the return – figuring out that storage and paddock amenities have been upgraded since?GS: “In 2021, once we visited the primary time, it was a ‘last-minute’ name I would say. We have been welcomed very a lot by everybody in Qatar and it was race. I bear in mind the smaller garages however that was as a result of they have been constructed for motorbikes, however the amenities have all been upgraded they usually look superb. There have been some points with the ground due to the curbs I bear in mind, however let’s examine what has been carried out. The one factor that has me scratching my head is the temperatures, that are actually excessive, within the forties. We’re racing at evening although, so it must be okay.”
The workforce is busy specializing in the VF-23 improve package deal set to be launched at america Grand Prix later this month – are you able to give an summary of the present workflow and the problem in introducing it at this stage of the season?GS: “This system is on-plan so every little thing must be carried out. Everybody within the workforce has carried out job in doing the planning for this – the buying division has labored day and evening to get every little thing ordered in time, the design workplace labored and gave the drawings to the buying division – the corporate labored because it ought to. We do not know the way good the improve can be, we anticipate one thing good out of it, however one of the best factor is that we’re going within the path we wish to go subsequent yr and we’ll be taught lots this yr for subsequent season.”
Spherical 18 of the 2023 FIA System 1 Championship brings the paddock again to Qatar, after a yr hiatus. You have not raced round Lusail Worldwide Circuit beforehand, what have you learnt of the circuit and as a driver of over 150 races, how do you deal with getting aware of a brand new circuit? Kevin Magnussen: “It is a new circuit to me, I’ve by no means pushed it, however I like attending to know new tracks and there is a lot information and data accessible these days you may put together fairly properly so I really feel like I already know the monitor. It is nonetheless going to be a brand new expertise, what necessities from the monitor and the way the curbs really feel are issues that I have to discover once I get there. I get one follow earlier than qualifying, however it’s what it’s and I simply need to get on the tempo as rapidly as attainable.”
Lusail is a monitor that additionally hosts two-wheeled sporting occasions, like Barcelona, Silverstone, Spielberg and COTA. What traits do these tracks have and do they provide System 1 extra or fewer alternatives throughout a racing lap?KM: “Because of the aerodynamics on the automotive, we are inclined to battle with following different vehicles in these forms of corners that this monitor has loads of, the medium-, high-speed corners, however I feel the primary straight is lengthy sufficient with DRS that overtaking is feasible there and in addition it is a very vast monitor so you can also make different traces to make your clear air, so from what I’ve seen from 2021, it seemed like overtaking was attainable.”
The Qatar Grand Prix begins a run of Sprints, with three of the following 4 races utilizing the format. Is that one thing you are in favor of? KM: “I get pleasure from Dash weekends as a result of there’s extra stress. Many of the weekend, even with FP1 there’s stress as a result of it is the one one you get. From the start of the weekend, it is extra thrilling.”
Spherical 18 of the 2023 FIA System 1 Championship brings the paddock again to Qatar, after a yr hiatus. You have not pushed the Lusail Worldwide Circuit in a System 1 automotive earlier than, what have you learnt of the circuit and as a driver of over 150 races, how do you deal with getting acquainted? Nico Hulkenberg: “I’ve raced round Lusail in GP2 Asia, in 2009. Clearly, that was just a few years in the past, nevertheless it’s a really quick and flowy monitor. I fairly like a night race and as it is a Dash, it would make it difficult, however that is what we’re right here for.”
Lusail is a monitor that additionally hosts two-wheeled sporting occasions, like Barcelona, Silverstone, Spielberg and COTA. What traits do these tracks have and do they provide System 1 extra or fewer alternatives?NH: “I feel we discover on the curbs, the exit curbs for bikes need to be flatter clearly for security causes, and usually there’s some astroturf behind the curb as properly. I feel you may inform at any time when a monitor is for 2 in addition to 4 wheels, there is a distinctive distinction, however that gives selection.”
The Qatar Grand Prix begins a run of Sprints, with three of the following 4 races utilizing the format. Is that one thing you are in favor of?NH: “We all know we have now upgrades coming however we’re not sat round ready for them, as a workforce we’re nonetheless pushing one another and striving for a faultless weekend when it comes to execution and technique. Sprints deliver extra stress, so deliver it on.”
