The Haas F1 Team is expecting a return to form in Montreal next week as the US outfit introduces a significant update package on its VF-18.
In retrospect for Haas, the best thing about last weekend's Monaco Grand Prix was the border after the team endured an absolutely dismal time, void of any glitz or glamour in the Principality.
Bargeboard weakness coupled with tyre temperature issues put both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean on the backfoot from the outset, and deprived both men of a shot at points.
"I’m just glad we’re out of here, and I can’t wait to go to Montreal and get back into the fight," said a laconic Magnussen when all was said and done.
Indeed, Canada next week should fortunately offer Haas a very different prospect, with its VF-18 receiving a new front wing and floor, and a revised bargeboard assembly, parts initially scheduled for Barcelona.
"We’ve got quite significant changes – front wing, floor, and all the bargeboard area – we’ve made those updates," confirms team boss Guenther Steiner.
"Obviously, their aim is to go faster, to gain us speed. A lot of people brought their upgrades to Spain.
"We decided to bring them to Canada to have a little bit more time, because we’re still a small team and cannot react as quickly as the big ones."
Haas will also be able to count on a new-spec Ferrari power engine, although the evolution will be minimal.
"The upgrades in the engines are small because they are so highly developed," says the Italian.
"To find big gains is very difficult but, for sure, every time Ferrari gives us an upgrade, it is for a good reason, as it has more power."
Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is well known for its impact on brakes, a thorny subject for Haas, or rather Romain Grosjean who rarely felt comfortable in the past with the braking ability of his car.
Steiner explains what it takes to have enduring braking capability in Canada over the course of a 70-lap race.
"You use a brake which has longer life. Maybe the braking is not as good as it is normally, but you need the additional life on it so you can finish the race," he says.
"You also have to work on the cooling so you don’t overheat them. If you overheat them, then you cannot get to the end.
"A good brake package is a consistent one – you always know what it’s going to do.
"We have that this year, and I’m sure if you ask the drivers, they’re happy with it because they know what they’ve got when they’re braking for a corner."
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