Haas 'confident' in 2019 car, but guarded over rivals' gains

Haas boss Guenther Steiner offered a positive outlook on the team's 2019 car, but the Italian is also cautious given the potential gains generated by its midfield rivals over the winter.

Last year saw the US outfit fight Renault for the honorary title of 'best of the rest' in the Constructors' standings, a battle Haas ultimately lost on the account of a series of costly mistakes and mishaps, like its double pit stop blunder at the opening round in Melbourne.

Haas also lost precious points as a result of Romain Grosjean's exclusion from the Italian Grand Prix for a technical infringement linked to the floor of its VF-18.

• Haas sees gap with top teams 'even bigger' at start of 2019

Overall however, the squad's third year in Formula 1 was a positive one and sets it up well for 2019.

"Everything is on schedule as it should be," Steiner said.

"It is like every year, you have some stuff which is a little bit behind but it’s nothing abnormal. I’m confident we’ll have a good car but I don’t know how good the other ones are.

"We are happy with our numbers and what we do but with the new regulations, if somebody found something we are not aware of, how can I know that? But I’m pretty confident that we are doing a good job."

Despite Haas' rivals representing an unknown quantity at this stage, Steiner is projecting another fierce midfield battle, not only at the outset but also over the course of the year as a result of the teams' usual development push.

"I think everyone will go for that position and even better, and we will as well.

"We just need to do a good job like we did last year over the winter and bring a good car, there is no secret. Everyone will be trying to get that position.

"Last year if somebody had said Haas was going to finish fifth nobody would have believed it, and would have said how do you do it?

"I don’t know how but you do your best and if nobody does a better job then that’s where we end up.

"If we do a good job, which I think we do, but somebody else does that little bit more, they will be in front and we will have to live with that and just try to get them again. It’s a development race."

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