Steiner spoke to Mazepin about Monaco concerns

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner spoke to Nikita Mazepin about the need to avoid errors at the Monaco Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago.

Mazepin has endured a tough start to life as a rookie in Formula 1, making a number of mistakes that have seen him spinning or crashing at every venue so far this season. Although in Portugal and Spain they were small errors, Monte Carlo is not so forgiving and Steiner reiterated the need to drive to the car’s limits this weekend.

“Thanks for reminding me what is coming!” Steiner said. “No, we spoke already about it (in Spain). In Monaco, you need a lot of downforce, and guess what we haven’t got? A lot of downforce! So it will be even tougher.

“So we spoke about it already that keeping out of the walls and the barriers is the most important thing in Monaco for us, whatever it is - there is no leeway. We just have to swallow that one, but it will be a tough one.”

It’s a message that will be given to both drivers again ahead of the race weekend, and he feels both Mazepin and Mick Schumacher can use the low expectations to gain valuable experience in an F1 car in Monaco.

“Regarding the briefing – stay out of the walls and off the barriers," Steiner added. "That’s what we’ll let them know. Once you’re in the barriers in Monaco, your session is lost. You cannot get the car back and it’s normally pretty damaged anyway.

“The challenge is big. It’s a very tight circuit, it’s obviously a street circuit, and you’ve got lots of people watching – everything you don’t want on a race like this. On the other side, you do want it though, that’s why we’re doing it.

“There should be little pressure on the drivers there as we know our performance. They should be looking at the race just to gain experience so when they return with a better car they’ll have learned how to deal with Monaco, which is obviously a very special race in the Formula 1 calendar.”