Haas boss Guenther Steiner says the team cannot expect to make significant progress across the rest of the 2020 Formula 1 season, believing Q2 and the occasional point should be its ambition.
Haas slumped to ninth in last year’s standings and currently holds that position again in 2020.
It confirmed prior to the start of the delayed campaign that it was not intending to bring any updates to its 2020 car, the VF-20, and has remained among the backmarkers.
Its sole point came in Hungary, achieved when it gambled on switching both cars to dry tyres after a damp formation lap, allowing Kevin Magnussen to hang on to a top 10 position.
That point means it is one clear of score-less Williams at the foot of the standings, with nearest rival Alfa Romeo now three in front after Kimi Raikkonen finished ninth at Mugello.
“It will be a tough end to the season, in the same way it was a tough start to the season,” said Steiner ahead of this weekend’s Russian Grand Prix.
“We obviously have some deficiencies in our car. We also haven’t brought any upgrades to the car.
“We are at least fighting every weekend with Alfa and Williams, and I think we can continue to do that for the rest of the season.
“With a little bit of luck, and some of our own talent, we should hopefully get some points before the season ends.”
Steiner added that “it’s a tough year for us but we’re always trying to do our best. That is our aim at the moment – to get into Q2.
“That then gets us into a position where if something surprising happens in the race, we can hopefully take some points away from it.
“At the moment it seems we’re just there to create the surprise for other people. Maybe our luck turns and we get something good out of it at some stage this year.”
