Guenther Steiner has claimed that Haas are now 'as fast as Alpine', firing a warning shot to their midfield competitors.
Alpine currently lies fifth in the championship standings, leading Haas in seventh by seven points. Despite this gap, Steiner believes their advantage lies in their qualifying pace, and feels that they are in a position to gain points going forward.
"On one lap we're as fast at Alpine," he said, speaking to AMuS.
"After Bahrain we were unsure of where we stood. Now we know that we can keep up with everyone else. It's so damn close in the second part of the field. Every single point is like gold dust.
"Both [cars] can make it into Q3. [In Saudi Arabia] Hulkenberg should have made it to Q3 without a problem,“ he added.
Steiner also confirmed Haas still have a number of tools at their disposal, particularly on the issue of tyre degradation.
He added: "There are many factors involved (with tyre degradation) that we can influence.
"The aerodynamic and mechanical balance plays a significant role," he added.