Kevin Magnussen lamented an underwhelming 2023 Formula 1 season with Haas that didn't feature any highlights except maybe the odd race when points were scored.
Haas contested the 2023 F1 season with their VF-23, a car with a ravenous appetite for tyres, fast on Saturdays for Magnussen and teammate Nico Hulkenberg to spring a surprise every now and then, but painfully slow on Sundays which the US outfit used to spend free falling down the grid regardless of their starting position.
Reflecting on his season, Magnussen said, quoted by Formula 1's Official Website, he said: "There’s not been any great highlights I would say, unfortunately.
"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 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," the Dane maintained.
Haas did not develop their VF-23 much, and opted for a big upgrade package for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, but the results were mixed.
After Austin, Magnussen decided to drive the upgraded car for the remainder of the season, while Hulkenberg reverted to the older spec.
Magnussen explained why: "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.
"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. 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," the Haas driver concluded.
Magnussen scored points on three occasions in 2023 - three tenth places in Jeddah, Miami, and Singapore - and finished 19th in the F1 Drivers' Standings with three points.
Teammate Hulkenberg was 16th in the Championship after scoring points twice, when he finished seventh in the Australian Grand Prix and sixth in the Sprint Race in Austria, a total of nine points to his name.
Haas was dead last in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship and will keep the same driver lineup for 2024.
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