Following the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Principal Günther Steiner said that he is grateful for the safety of team members from the region, which was heavily impacted by extreme flooding.
“First of all, the most important thing is as many people as possible are safe. We have a lot of staff from that area so thank God our staff are safe, but they have their struggles to deal with now.”
“We fully supported what was done by Formula 1, and also our people who were on-site setting up for the race. We flew them back to the UK to make sure everybody was safe as soon as possible but some had to stay and take the garage down and go on to Monaco, but everything is safe, and we keep on racing. At the moment though, Imola and its citizens are more important than Formula 1 racing there.”
The FIA Formula 1 World Championship now moves onto the next round, the Monaco Grand Prix. When asked what the event represents for him, Steiner said that is an “important” venue due to its history and extravagance.
“Monaco to all of us means mixing glamour with racing. It’s an event which has been there a long time, a lot of people go there and a lot of people dream to go there one day because it’s an outstanding location and an important one for Formula 1. We always go there being prepared for a lot of activities to show what the sport is about.”
Steiner has his sights set on a successful qualifying, considering the lack of overtaking opportunities. He said that communication will be key to supporting the drivers as they take on the tight streets of Monaco, as well as ensuring that they remain calm and focused.
“In Monaco, we all put a lot of effort into the free practice sessions and on to qualifying because it’s important to qualify well. Overtaking isn’t impossible but it’s very, very difficult. You put the biggest effort into it and the drivers focus on it.
“Communication is like always – trying to communicate to drivers when there is traffic because if you’re on a hot lap and you find traffic, you’re in a mess. It’s very important to keep on top of it and to keep drivers as calm as possible. Already the stress of it is enough in Monaco because it’s high-speed through a lot of tight walls.”
Being the shortest track on the calendar, Steiner said that traffic is another distraction to contend with at the Monte Carlo circuit– another deciding factor in how the grid will line up on Sunday.
“Then, if you have to deal with traffic, that sometimes takes the driver the wrong way and they can’t focus on their driving. It’s the only thing you can do and sometimes you get it right, but sometimes you get it wrong – so that’s where our main focus is throughout the sessions.”
