Guenther Steiner has highlighted Simone Resta, the new strategic development director at Mercedes, as a crucial factor in Haas's turnaround in Formula 1. Resta, who joined Mercedes after leaving Haas in January 2024, had previously worked with Steiner as the team's technical director after his stint at Ferrari.
The 2023 Haas car struggled with significant tire wear issues, leading the team to finish last in the constructors' championship for the second time in three years, following a similar outcome in 2021. However, this season, drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen have shown improvement, accumulating 28 points and positioning themselves to challenge for sixth place in the standings—Haas's best result since finishing fifth in 2018.
Reflecting on his former team, which recently announced a new technical partnership with Toyota, Steiner praised Resta but emphasized that Haas's current performance should be viewed in context.
"I think that they're doing pretty good, but that is the best that you can do. It has got a lot to do with what the guys did last year when it was decided to develop the car, and I have to give a lot of credit to Simone Resta, who has just started at Mercedes," Steiner told RacingNews365.
"Last year, when we sat down in June and said: 'This year's car is not going to work, we need to change it' and that is what he did. They've put everything together and have got a pretty good car this year, but what is good? You say they're having a great season, but it is all relative, but I think the car at the start of the year was pretty good, which was put together by the team in Maranello and Simone. I don't want to take credit for that, and want to give it to Simone, it is pretty decent and the best you can get," he added.
Constructors World Championship standings
McLaren – 516 points
Red Bull – 475 points
Ferrari – 441 points
Mercedes – 329 points
Aston Martin – 86 points
RB – 34 points
Haas – 31 points
Williams – 16 points
Alpine – 13 points
Sauber – 0 points
Drivers Standing
1. Verstappen- Red Bull
2. Norris- McLaren
3. Leclerc- Ferrari
4. Piastri- McLaren
5. Sainz- Ferrari
6 . Hamilton- Mercedes
7. Russell- Mercedes
8.Perez- Red Bull
9. Alonso- Aston Martin
10. Hulkenberg- Haas
