Haas celebrates double points success in Japanese GP

With both Haas cars finishing the Japanese Grand Prix in the points it marked only the second time in the team's Formula 1 history that is has scored double points which Gunther Steiner credits to driver happiness, with Romain Grosjean praising set-up changes including the brakes.

Kevin Magnussen led home team-mate Grosjean in eighth and ninth place respectively to notch up Haas’s second double points results, the first coming in this season’s Monaco Grand Prix, which has seen the American team jump above Renault into seventh place in the world constructors’ championship.

Grosjean has frequently complained about set-up this season, at points calling the car undriveable, but was thrilled his team had moved forward with crucial tyre knowledge.

“We figured out how to get the tires to work a little bit better. It’s clearly the key,” Grosjean said. “When they work, it’s so much faster. When they don’t, you just struggle. We still need to improve that, but I felt much better in the car.

“I was happy with the brakes, everything went well.”

Speaking about the race, Kevin Magnussen echoed his team-mate’s sentiments: "Results like today are definitely not east to get, you need to get everything right and I think we did today - so well done to the team."

With Haas now one point ahead of Renault in the championship team principal Gunther Steiner joked the battle won’t be keeping him awake at night.

"Yes, [ahead] by one point - it's like I'm not sleeping because obviously they're fast but Hulkenberg came out behind us so it's not like we stole it from him, you know. We want to win so it's good.”

Although promoted to 13th by grid penalties, Grosjean had left in Q1 following a substantial shunt - although he said he believed Q3 had been possible, while Magnussen qualified at the bottom of the Q2 drivers but maximised its performance as Renault and Toro Rosso faltered at Suzuka.