Steiner "baffled" by Haas’ 2019 car

The American team, owned by Gene Haas, has reverted its car back to the aero specification first used in Australia, which has helped performance somewhat, but drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen still lack race pace.
 
However, the car is quick over one lap, adding more confusion as Grosjean qualified P6 at the German Grand Prix.
 
Steiner said (quoted by Motorsport.com): “We're still to understand where we are.
 
“This is the strangest car ever I've worked with.
 
“I mean, you can qualify sixth - which in reality is eighth, I know that – or qualify fifth sometimes, and then in the race you just drop off to second-last. It's amazing.

“It hasn't been many times that a car like this was around. I don't remember anything like this, and therefore it's even more difficult.

“[In Germany], I think Kevin without the lock-up he would've made it into Q3 [alongside Romain Grosjean] I think pretty easy.

“But then again, in the race, you end up being slow. I'm baffled.”

Steiner believes that the key to understanding the issues with the key is a better understanding of how the tyres work, something many teams have struggled with this year.

“I think it's still the tyres,” added Steiner.

“It's how the car influences the tyre.

“When we get the tyre to work, we are on it - and we need just to understand that one, what does make it work and whatnot. 

"We know the window is small of the tyre, where it works, and that will not change, so we need to find out why we are popping out sometimes and sometimes not.”