Steiner beaming with pride as Haas hits special milestone at Imola

Regardless of where Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finish their race on Sunday, there will be a reason to celebrate for Haas this weekend at Imola.

The sixth round of the 2023 F1 season marks a significant milestone for the American team as they reach their 150th Grand Prix since their debut in the sport back in 2016.

Under the leadership of team principal Guenther Steiner, Haas experienced the highs and lows of Formula 1, but succeeded in establishing itself as a resilient contender on the grid.

Steiner and the entire team stand proud, reflecting on the journey that brought them to this remarkable achievement.

Ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Italian recalls his stand-out memory from his nearly eight-year tenure at the helm of Haas.

"What stood out for me is when we got to the race track in Melbourne in 2016, because we had so many people saying we wouldn’t make it," he remembers.

"We made it, we’re still here and that makes me proud for the whole team.

"We scored points in our first race which hasn’t happened many times before in Formula 1 history as well."

Read also

• Haas: No 'panic reaction' to adopt Red Bull-style bodywork

On a personal level, Steiner says starting and building a F1 team and guiding it to the grid was an important accomplishment. But it's also one that would have never been even possible without the unwavering support and commitment of team owner and benefactor Gene Haas.

"For me, it means a lot starting a team, it’s a dream for many to start a team and I could do it thanks to Gene Haas who allowed us to do this," he added.

"We’re in a good position now and we just try to get stronger and stronger, and we will."

Haas began its career in F1 with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. The Dane raced with the team until the end of 2020 but returned home just days before the start of the 2022 season following Nikita Mazepin's departure.

As a Haas driver, Magnussen competed in 106 of the team's current tally of 149 races. While it's been a "fantastic ride", time has flown by unnoticed for the 30-year-old.

"That’s a big number! It doesn’t feel like that much as it’s all gone by very quickly," he said.

"It’s been a fantastic ride so far and we’ve had some super special moments – of course topped by the pole position last year in Brazil, but there’s been many more exciting moments.

"It’s always been an extra successful feeling scoring big points with this team because it’s such a small team in a very big sport, competing against some giant organizations.

"We’ve truly come from being real underdogs to being an established Formula 1 team.

"We’re still one of the smaller ones but the growth and the journey overall has been phenomenal, and I’m very happy to have been a part of it so far and hoping to have many more years."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter