Aryna Sabalenka, a prominent tennis player, was invited as a special guest by the American team for the recent racing weekend in Italy. It is not uncommon for celebrities and athletes to attend Formula 1 races, considering it is the highest level of motorsport. Sabalenka, who has previously been ranked as the world number 1, joined the Haas F1 team for the Imola race. She was seen alongside the Haas drivers, spending time with them and even taking photos to commemorate the occasion. Throughout the race, the 26-year-old Belarusian watched from the American team’s garage.
The presence of a renowned tennis star like Aryna Sabalenka at an Italian Formula 1 race was well received by fans. This may have provided her with the opportunity to lift her spirits after narrowly losing in the final of the 2024 Italian Open. Despite the defeat, Sabalenka could potentially attend more races in the coming weeks, adding excitement for both tennis enthusiasts and motorsport fans.
During the racing weekend, Aryna Sabalenka had the opportunity to interact with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg in the Haas team garage. Nico Hülkenberg has delivered impressive performances for the Haas F1 team this season. His good form continued in Imola, where he secured a place in the top ten during qualifying. Hülkenberg even mentioned that he and his teammate provided valuable feedback to each other during the session.
Haas had high hopes for Nico Hülkenberg to score important points in the Sunday race. However, the 36-year-old driver narrowly missed out on scoring points, finishing in 11th place. Despite this, the racing weekend in Imola was positive for the American team. Hülkenberg’s teammate, Kevin Magnussen, finished just behind him in 12th place.
Looking ahead, Haas aims to make further progress in the upcoming races. Currently occupying the seventh position in the F1 standings, the American team is 12 points behind sister team Red Bull. To reduce this gap, both Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen will need to push their cars to the limit and seek better results in the next races.