Mazepin "on the right track" and "happiest" since joining F1

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has revealed Nikita Mazepin is at his happiest since beginning his F1 career after outpacing team-mate Mick Schumacher in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Mazepin has endured a difficult rookie season so far, having come under fire for impeding other drivers and spinning multiple times across the first four races.

Despite declaring he was "not too confident" ahead of his maiden F1 outing in the Principality, the Russian driver enjoyed his best day of the season by keeping his nose clean and finishing ahead of Schumacher in both of Thursday's sessions.

“I think he did a good job and I spoke with him afterwards and he was very happy," said Steiner.

"He said he was the happiest he has been since he entered Formula 1 at the beginning of the season.

“He did a good job, he didn’t do anything which he shouldn’t be doing and improved lap by lap. We still have a little bit to go but I think we are on the right track at the moment.”

He added: “He just feels confidence in the car, that is what he told me. But he feels happy in the car and he feels confident in it. I don’t know the other details what is really different but he just didn’t think he would enjoy himself this much.”

Given Mazepin's struggles at the opening four races of the year at permanent racing facilities, including finding the barriers at the wide-open layout of Bahrain, his pre-event concerns were understandable.

Asked if it was a surprise the Russian's confidence in the car had grown suddenly at Monaco, Steiner conceded: “Maybe a little bit, but then again at some stage it will come but I think it is also the time in the car.

"It is his fifth race weekend so it is just getting used to it and maybe getting more used to the whole thing.”

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