Magnussen says 'no great highlights' from 2023 season but is hopeful Haas can take 'step forward' next year

Kevin Magnussen says there was no great highlight from his and Haas’ 2023 campaign after the American squad finished at the bottom of the constructors’ championship.

Haas finished eighth in the standings in 2022, with Magnussen scoring 25 of the team’s 37 points after scoring six top-10 finishes – including a season high P5 at the season-opener in Bahrain.

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But they did not build on that in 2023, as they finished at the bottom of the standings with just 12 points. Magnussen scored just three of those 12 points, with his P10 finishes in Saudi Arabia, Miami, and Singapore his only foray into the top-10 in 2023.

Reflecting on his highlights from the year, Magnussen said: “There's not been any great highlights I would say, unfortunately. But I think the races where we scored points have been quite… There have been races where I've been extremely happy with a P10, which, you know, just shows what kind of season we've had.

“But yeah, those races where points have been on the table have been the highlights. Unfortunately, it's not been any better than that.”

In a bid to improve performance and their results while looking to have a clear direction for their 2024 car, Haas brought a major upgrade package to the United States GP in October.

However, in the remaining few races, Magnussen opted to race with the updated car while his team mate, Nico Hulkenberg, chose the old-spec.

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Asked if Haas know which direction they will be heading with the 2024 car, Magnussen replied: “Well, I think the upgraded car is more in line with the plan for next year, the concept looks like what we think of for next year.

“So, it's not actually got more downforce on paper, it's not faster, but it is better to drive, it's easier, the balance is more consistent and that's why you don't see a step back when we run the new spec, although it's got less downforce.

“I think that's what we need to go into the winter, developing in that direction and hopefully we can take a step forward for next year because it's not been an easy year for sure.”