Haas driver Kevin Magnussen admits he "can't believe" the team's fairytale start to the new Formula 1 season in Bahrain.
The Dane, who was only called up 11 days before the opening race to replace the axed Nikita Mazepin, reached Q3 in qualifying and then finished fifth on race day to score the team's first points since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix.
For Haas, the early performance of their car under F1's new regulations has vindicated the decision to sacrifice the entirety of last year to focus development on the VF-22.
Particularly as Magnussen found himself racing Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on the opening lap.
“I was able to get on the outside of him on lap one. I was focused on being in the lead of that mid-pack crew and I think I did get in the lead after lap one," he explained.
“I think I had a few people behind me that were a bit quicker, I think [George] Russell and a Red Bull. Then a couple of mistakes after that with a lock-up where I lost a position and when I was in the lead of the midfield, I just got in the rhythm and kept at that.”
Seventh, behind the top three teams, had looked on the cards for Kevin before the late retirement of both Verstappen and Perez promoted him to P5.
And given the crazy ride he and Haas have been on already this year, K-Mag couldn't be happier.
“It’s been crazy. I feel as though I keep saying the same thing all week because it’s getting better and better and every time it does – I still can’t believe it,” he said, reflecting on the past two weeks.
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“Getting back in the F1 car, driving out of the garage, qualifying with that result and then nailing it in the race.
“The team deserve it so much. They have worked so hard over the past couple of years and they took a lot of bashing last year because they were focused on this year and got a good result today.”
Team boss Guenther Steiner couldn't keep the smile off his face for much of the weekend, admitting Haas' performance was almost too good to be true.
“What the whole team did, if you think about the last two years then coming back like this, you cannot write a story like this in my opinion,” he said.
You deserve this, team 👊🎉🤩#HaasF1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/W1jH8J8K3H
— Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) March 20, 2022
“The guys on the racetrack the last two years, I mean they had tough times but they kept their head low, learned, and the pit-stops were good. Everything was just fine.
“They took the last year to get ready for a better car and the guys delivered a good car this year, so it’s all down to the team. They keep me all very proud. I’m proud of them.
“It’s just fantastic. I can’t say more, but it’s all down to the team.”
