Kevin Magnussen’s incredible month of March continues with unlikely finish in Formula 1 Bahrain GP.
Casual Formula 1 fans who might have missed the season-opening F1 Bahrain Grand Prix can be excused for doing a double-take at the standings today.
After all, the new world order—or at least how the Formula 1 teams line up in the standings—looks to be a tad upside down.
Ferrari, on the strength of a 1-2 finish by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr, lead the F1 Constructor’s Championship with 44 points. Mercedes, thanks to a 3-4 finish by seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, is second with 27 points.
Now it gets fun.
The Haas F1 Team, which was scoreless in 2021, is third place in the standings after one race with 10 points after Kevin Magnussen’s clean run to fifth place in Bahrain that was good for 10 points. Teammate Mick Schumacher finished 11th to just miss scoring his first F1 championship point.
And as for Red Bull, a team which produced the F1 champion in Max Verstappen and gave Mercedes a spirited run before finishing second in the 2021 Constructors’ Championship, they’re sitting in Haas’ old spot in the F1 basement after Race 1 of 23.
Haas had not registered a point for as much as a top-10 finish since Romain Grosjean’s ninth-place finish at the Eifel Grand Prix at Nurburgring, Germany, on Oct. 11, 2020. Magnussen’s finish was his best career finish in Formula 1 since a fifth-place finish for Haas in Austria in 2018.
What made his fifth-place finish even more unlikely—if you need any more evidence—is that Magnussen returned to Formula 1 less than two weeks ago. If it weren’t for Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and Haas’ dismissal of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and Russian sponsor Uralkali, Magnussen would still be working on his Peugeot ride in that manufactuer’s new FIA WEC Hypercar program after losing his own ride at Haas following the 2020 season.
Magnussen even raced at the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech Series Rolex 24 for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing in January. No, F1 was not on Magnussen’s radar for 2022.
Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner surveys the competition in Bahrain on Sunday.
Clive Rose – Formula 1Getty Images
Clearly, the break from Formula 1, coupled with the new rules and regulations in F1 for 2022, have proven to be good for both Magnussen and Haas.
“The craziness just continues,” Magnussen said after Sunday’s race. “We had a really good race and the car was good all the way through. We had a little more degradation than we would’ve hoped for on the first set of tires, but I also got passed a few people that were faster than me on the first lap and I didn’t really know whether to keep them behind or let them go.
“I also locked up a little bit so maybe it wasn’t perfect, but even though we pitted earlier we then extended the second stint on the same tire to get back on plan. Then there was a safety car that put everyone on the same tire and then it was just a sprint race to the end, so it was just intense. Obviously, a bit of luck there with the two Red Bull’s (both going out early) but we’ll take that.”
Haas team principal Guenther Steiner also seemed to enjoy the fact that he wasn’t asked the same old “what went wrong today” questions after the Grand Prix. After last year’s forgettable season and lack of power in his team’s cars, it appears that the team might be on the right side of the equation this year. Three of the top four teams in the standings after one race—Ferrari, Haas and Alfa Romeo—are powered by Ferrari engines.
“A very good day for us today, it’s good to be back for the whole team,” said Steiner, who has led the Haas effort since it’s on-track beginning in 2016. “They’ve done a fantastic job, not just today but for the last two years. Everyone kept their head high and just got ready for the moment that we would have a good car.
“When that moment came, everyone did their part and I’m very proud of them, and they can be proud of themselves.”
Haas will try to keep the ball rolling this week in the Round 2 of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Jeddah.
Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship
Standings After Race 1 of 23
- Ferrari 44
- Mercedes 27
- Haas Ferrari 10
- Alfa Romeo Ferrari 9
- Alpine Renault 8
- AlphaTauri Red Bull Powertrains 4
- Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 0
- Williams Mercedes 0
- McLaren Mercedes 0
- Red Bull Racing Red Bull Powertrains 0
Keyword: Why Haas F1 Team Is Biggest Surprise After the First Race of the F1 Season