Steiner: 'Still too many mistakes at Haas, we need to fix it!'

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Haas boss Guenther Steiner says frequent mistakes are disrupting the team's performance at crucial moments of the race weekend, insisting the "very annoying" issues must be fixed.

The US outfit's level of performance has clearly taken a step forward this season thanks to the speed of its new VF-18, but mistakes coupled with bad luck have squandered opportunities for good points.

Both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen had high hopes of taking their mount into Q3 yesterday, but the Frenchman was sidelined with a gearbox failure at the outset of Q1 while his team mate was eliminated in the second segment of qualifying, his car's performance hindered by a lost piece of bodywork.

Steiner: Haas might have to pay a premium to keep Magnussen

"It wasn't massive but every bit is something, and it shouldn't compromise the balance of the car," explained Steiner, commenting on Magnussen's bodywork issue.

"You never can put any numbers on a point of downforce because it spirals. If you have less downforce, the tyre works less.

"You get less heat in, you lose again, but you can't calculate the time. It's not in the region of three or four tenths. It's less than that.

"It's very annoying. We're going to get it fixed. We're making mistakes in this part," he added.

"This disrupts the whole qualifying session as all of a sudden, you need to fix something instead of focusing on making the car go quicker.

"You need to repair it, it's the wrong direction to go in. It's one of the things we need to do."

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The Italian team manager clearly wants his team to tighten things up, as small mistakes have been all too frequent this year and have compounded to impact overall results.

"We need to fix it. I'm fully aware of it ... Every race we had something.

"Sometimes you don't see them. We're not proud of it. This is not something....I don't try and find an excuse. We need to fix it.

"Is it design? Is it production? This is what we need to fix. We better do something.

"I wouldn't promise you that but that is what we need to do. If we achieve it or not, only the next event will tell."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.