Top-ten finish a 'morale booster' for strained Haas - Steiner

Haas boss Guenther Steiner says the US outfit's top-ten finish in Hungary with Kevin Magnussen is a timely "morale booster" for a team that has been under a lot of strain lately.

Magnussen finished P9 on the road in Sunday's race, but a 10-second penalty for receiving instructions on the formation lap dropped the Dane a spot.

Still, the points were just what Haas needed to revive its spirits after a difficult pre-season period and two fruitless races in Austria.

"It's important for all the people," said Steiner. "We were in furlough for three, four months before going to Austria, and in Austria results weren't fantastic to say the least.

"The guys have been on the road now for third week, so going away from here with points is something which is like a morale booster.

"Points speak for themselves for a race team. So I think everybody did a good job. Nobody gave up and we got some points. You know, that's the most important thing."

Steiner offered his comments before the stewards had ruled on the team's breach of Art. 27.1 of F1's sporting regulations on driver aids. Still, the single point secured in Hungary retains its value.

Magnussen owed his productive afternoon at the Hungaroring to a bold strategy call made by Haas' pitwall and which triggered the stewards' investigation.

• Haas drivers hit with 10-second penalty for 'driver aids' breach!

Steiner says the team's decision to call its drivers in at the end of the formation lap and mount dry tyres was a case of having little to lose.

"In the beginning, it was like if you start where we were lined up and you don't do anything different, it's difficult to make any gains," explained the Italian.

"So Kevin wanted to try some wet tyres, and then immediately saw on the formation lap, that it was drying up.

"And then there was very little chatter between our strategists, one of whom is sitting in England this week, because he broke his arm last week.

"So one of the two – one is here, obviously – said at some stage 'Hey, let's go to dry, it's drying up. That's a chance', and then it was very, very quick decision to do this.

"They discussed between people and we just did it, you know. There was no big discussion or anything. It's just that would be a good idea to let's try it, you know. We have nothing to lose."

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