F1 News: Guenther Steiner expects unpredictable midfield in 2023
Guenther Steiner has outlined his expectations for the midfield in 2023, with Haas looking to build upon its 8th-place finish last season.
The American squad has undergone significant change since it arrived in Bahrain last year, with various driver changes and new sponsorship among the most notable changes.
Kevin Magnussen made headlines with his shock return to F1 with Haas last season, securing a fantastic P5 finish on his return.
Ultimately, this finish would prove crucial for Haas - as the team slowly slipped down the standings throughout the season, hanging onto 8th place in the standings by the skin of their teeth.
After lack-lustre development last year, Haas has committed to a far more constant upgrade plan for 2023 to avoid slipping down the field in the later stages of the year.
Looking ahead to the Bahrain GP, Guenther Steiner believes the midfield will be very closely matched:
"If you ask me where anybody in the midfield is, I couldn't tell you.
"I think this year some cars will be better on certain tracks, while others will be better elsewhere because it's so close together.
"I could be wrong, but that's how I look at it.
"You cannot base your performance on other people failing, you won't be successful with that approach.
"It's been an incredible job by the entire team - both at the track and at our three factories."
This analysis seems fairly sound, with the likes of Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri and Haas all in a similar position going into 2023.
As ever - separating teams was very difficult in pre-season testing, although it seems reasonable to expect many of these teams to compete for similar positions.
Testing went smoothly for Haas and its VF-23 machine, which should allow the team to compete for points against other teams in the midfield.
Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg bring a combination of speed and experience to the team, so Haas will be eager to establish itself after a sequence of turbulent seasons.