Kevin Magnussen’s tempo has been reworked just lately, with Mexico seeing him produce his greatest qualifying and Formulation 1 race results of the season.
Critically, that displaying was not the results of some freak circumstance, because it got here from some fairly spectacular tempo that even meant he was quicker than Crimson Bull’s Max Verstappen within the closing levels of the race.
It’s a far cry from the beginning of the season when Magnussen was struggling to get assured in Haas’s 2024 challenger, and earned consideration extra for his rear gunner ways than his arduous outcomes out on monitor.
The breakthrough that he seems to have made since Austin, which might show essential in Haas’s constructors’ championship battle with RB, has come similtaneously the staff launched a significant new improve – however it’s not these aero elements which have made the distinction.
As an alternative, key to Magnussen lastly unleashing the tempo that he knew he had inside him is elevated confidence on nook entry, particularly in relation to brake really feel.
“This 12 months it has been very inconsistent on the brakes and I really feel like we hopefully mounted that,” stated Magnussen, when requested by Autosport to elucidate the place his step ahead had come from.
“It definitely appeared that method within the final two races that there was a change that was made which I actually felt. That was very optimistic.
“Hopefully it is not temperature-related and hopefully it’s actual, however it definitely coincided with making that change.”
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-24, Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Photographs
Digging a bit deeper into the specifics of the place issues are higher, Magnussen defined that it was all associated to that preliminary braking part.
“This season, after I hit the brakes, they form of have a little bit of lag after which they chew a short time after hitting the brakes,” he stated.
“So it is that preliminary feeling that I hit the brakes very arduous. My peak brake strain is at all times method increased than Nico [Hulkenberg], and so I believe I simply must really feel the brakes swap on instantly, and that is been actually hurting my confidence on entries.
“It upsets you in a foul method while you already really feel uncomfortable with the brakes. In order that’s been an enormous assist.
“To know that they chew on the identical method each time you hit the brakes, that is an enormous factor for me.”
Haas is at the moment 10 factors forward of RB within the combat for sixth within the constructors’ championship, having had a run of 5 top-10 finishes and though it appears to have a good tempo benefit over its Faenza-based rival, Magnussen says it can’t take something as a right simply but.
“We’re completely happy that we’re 10 factors forward, however I do not assume you’ll be able to ever be too assured right here,” he stated.
“It will possibly swing round in a short time. They only want one good race they usually’re equal with us once more. So we simply want to remain on the ball.”