Haas would like to leapfrog McLaren by summer break

Guenther Steiner has set out a bold target for Haas F1 Team ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix, saying the US outfit would like to enter Formula One’s summer back ‘one position higher’ in the championship.

After a strong start to life in the sport, Haas has experienced some ups and downs over the first half of its maiden F1 campaign and currently lies eighth in the Constructors’ standings with 28 points.

The next team ahead is McLaren-Honda, which has been on an upward trajectory across recent races, and currently has 38 points to its name.

“We would like to go into the summer shutdown one position higher than we are now in the championship,” Steiner said. “I think it’s always good that the last race, whether it’s before the summer shutdown or the next season, that you end up on a bit of a high, because then everybody relaxes and nobody is too worried.

“If we can get out of Germany with a few points, that would be fantastic for everybody.”

Romain Grosjean, who has scored all of Haas’ points so far this year, shares his team principal’s ambitious goals.

“I’d like us to go into the break with a strong final race,” the Frenchman said. “It’s always good to get a morale boost before the shutdown.

“Everyone can reflect on what we’ve done and what we can do better. It’s important for everyone to get a rest. It’s a long season and we’re only just over halfway through at the break.

“The big flyaway races come after that. We’ve had an amazing first half of the season and I’m sure we can do more in the second half. For that, we really need to keep working, keep our focus and take some rest whenever we can.”

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