Gunther Steiner has confirmed one of Haas’ Formula 1 chassis is a “little bit heavier” and has been run by both Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
Following last weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, Mazepin revealed he had been using a heavier chassis to his team-mate, which he felt explained his deficit to Schumacher so far this season.
Mazpein managed to jump Schumacher on the opening lap, with the pair seen battling hard on two separate occasions, before Schumacher pulled clear by more than half a minute at the chequered flag.
The result led to Mazepin’s post-race comments, which Haas boss Steiner backed up, revealing there was a difference in weight between both the team’s chassis.
“One of the chassis is a little bit heavier,” Steiner said, as quoted by RaceFans. “But not in all circumstances, just when we need a certain weight balance so it ends up a little bit heavier. It’s marginal, but it is heavier.”
Steiner admitted the difference in weight was “absolutely” having a clear impact in performance on Mazepin’s car, but was clear Schumacher had also driven the heavier chassis at points during the year.
“Absolutely, it always has an impact,” Steiner said. “Heavier cannot have no impact, it’s physics.
“We swapped the chassis around quite a bit and we always did. I don’t exactly know who has driven which chassis when and where but I think both drivers have driven all of our chassis.”
Steiner explained the reasons for the difference in weight between both cars, and confirmed Mazepin would be given a new chassis at the Belgian Grand Prix after the summer break.
“We carried all the chassis over from last year, just to clarify that,” Steiner said. “Like a lot of other teams did – because of the freezing of the car, the car is not a complete new build.”
“Part of it is in the tolerance when you build a car,” he explained. “And for sure over a year you do some repair jobs and maybe it got a little bit heavier there.
“The plan is to have a new chassis for Belgium for him.”
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