Guenther Steiner isn’t focused on a potential pitfall lurking in the wings at Haas, with Romain Grosjean just two penalty points away from a one-race ban.
A clumsy move by the Frenchman on the opening lap of the US Grand Prix which resulted in a clash with Sauber’s Charles Leclerc, warranted a three-place grid drop for Mexico, and a penalty point added to his licence.
Grosjean’s tally puts him two points short of the 12-point threshold which, if reached within a 12-month period, triggers a costly race ban.
However, Steiner believes that until an eventual punishment comes to pass there’s no need to spend any time thinking about who could potentially replace a suspended Grosjean.
"No, I wouldn’t bandage my head before I’ve got a hole in it. When it happens, I deal with it," Steiner said.
"Hopefully it doesn’t happen, but when it happens, if I start to work now on things which could happen, I would have a lot to do, so that’s my opinion about it.
"If it happens, we are pretty well prepared for any eventuality. There are a few people out there I would call up and see if they would drive.
"But I think it will be good."
Formula 1’s sporting regulations pertaining to the 12-month penalty point period mean that Grosjean will drop a point on October 29, bringing his total back to 9.
However, the provision takes nothing away from the fact that he’ll need to be extra-cautious all weekend in Mexico, as F1 race director Charlie Whiting emphasized.
"If he got three on the 28th, I think he would be very silly," Whiting said. "He's got to be very careful on the 28th by the sounds of things."
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