MoneyGram Haas F1 Team saw Kevin Magnussen bringing home the team’s first point of the season in 10th, with Nico Hulkenberg 12th at the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, held Sunday at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
Hulkenberg and Magnussen started the night race on the Pirelli P Zero Yellow medium tires and held competitive positions in the congested midfield group during the opening stages. Magnussen came in on lap 8, taking on White hard tires, with Hulkenberg following suit three laps later and switching to the same compound.
The pair cycled through to 11th and 12th, respectively, Magnussen in front of Hulkenberg, after the pit stop phase, with those yet to stop doing so under a safety car period caused when Lance Stroll came to a halt on lap 17.
Magnussen and Hulkenberg ran in tandem at the restart before setting off in pursuit of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda. Magnussen made several attempts at usurping his opponent before finally wrestling the position away on lap 46 to move into the top 10.
Magnussen preserved the position across the remaining moments of the 50-lap race to secure his and the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s first point score of 2023. Hulkenberg ensured a two-car finish by taking the checkered flag in 12th position.
Up front, Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez claimed victory ahead of team-mate Max Verstappen, with Mercedes driver George Russell third.
Kevin Magnussen
A point means a lot. We didn’t start the weekend on the right foot, but it seemed like we really turned things around and found a groove for qualifying. Unfortunately, we had this issue with the gearbox that we didn’t have today, which was really nice. We had a good race, got a good start, and managed the tires well – especially on the hard compound when I was on older tires than Tsunoda and actually had less degradation. I then got past him, and we got the point.
Nico Hulkenberg
It was eventful. It’s always a massive challenge here on this track, and it was tight. On the one hand, I’m disappointed I missed out on a point, but on the other hand, I’m very pleased that I completed the race, and we’ve learned a lot. The underlying positive news is that we’re competitive. It was difficult to judge in Bahrain with damage, but today, we’re competitive in the midfield, which makes me happy.
Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team
The first point this season! We had the speed but didn’t luck into it as some people were in a better position after the safety car, but the drivers fought hard, and we got the point. The whole team performed flawlessly all weekend, they kept their heads up, and everyone just kept on pushing. That’s what we’ll be doing all season long, and I’m really looking forward to going to Australia now. As I said, I didn’t know where we were with the car after Bahrain, but we now know where we think we are. We’re in the mix. I think we’re actually pretty good – it’s all coming together. We didn’t panic after Bahrain – now we’re cautiously optimistic.
Haas F1 Team best pictures:

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 16: Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1 Team during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Thursday March 16, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 17: Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23 during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Friday March 17, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Zak Mauger / LAT Images)

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 18: Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Saturday March 18, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 18: Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Saturday March 18, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 19: Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Team during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Sunday March 19, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

JEDDAH STREET CIRCUIT, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 19: Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23 during the 2023 Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Street Circuit on Sunday March 19, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Zak Mauger / LAT Images)
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