Magnussen: 2024 first time Haas' upgrades made car faster

Magnussen started his run with Haas back in 2017 and drove for them until 2020, after that he was released from the team along with then teammate Romain Grosjean both replaced by Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.

However, the Dane was called back to Haas for the 2022 F1 season to replace Mazepin and has been with them since then, but will be making way to Esteban Ocon in 2025, as Oliver Bearman replaced the Audi-Sauber-bound Nico Hulkenberg.

That means, when Magnussen leaves Haas at the end of this season, he would have driver for the American team for seven seasons.

Ferrari-powered Haas have struggled over their history and never managed to break from the lower midfield, with the exception of 2018 when they finished fifth in the F1 Constructors' Championship.

Under the current F1 regulations, Haas have produced a fast qualifying cars that ate up its tyres during races, a problem Team Principal Ayao Komatsu - who took over from Guenther Steiner ahead of the 2024 season - pointed out as the target of his team's development efforts.

Facing the media in the F1 Drivers' Press Conference over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Magnussen was asked to sum up the first part of Haas' season.

Magnussen said: "I think we're still not consistent enough, but from last year, we improved consistency. Last year, especially in qualifying, we were able to be good, but every time on Sunday, we'd just fall to pieces. And I think we've changed that situation so that it's actually almost the opposite now.

"We look better in the race than we do in qualifying often. And certainly on Sunday, we're a lot more consistent. But again, with the field so tight together, it only takes a small little mishap and you're qualifying far off your optimal position. And that's been a big driver to the inconsistency this year, I think.

"I think coming into this year we thought we were going to be the last team on the grid and we haven't been, so I think it's been a positive surprise," the Haas driver continued.

"There's always, when you look back at this stuff, things you could have done better but I think everyone can say that, so I feel like we've had a good first half of the season. The second half I think with the couple of upgrades we've had this year, they've actually worked.

"And it's the first time in Haas' history that we brought upgrades to the car that made it faster," he claimed. "So that's a real step forward there already.

"So hopefully we can keep that going. I don't know. We're on a good trend, I think. So hopefully we can just keep that going," Magnussen concluded.