Haas chief Günther Steiner is braced for a "crowded" midfi♔eld fight in Formula 1 this year despite th⛎e team being tipped by many to impress following its display through pre-season testing.

Haas en🍸ded the winter running in Barcelona as the fifth-fastest team in the overall standings as well as showing a solid long-r🥃un pace, leading the likes of McLaren racing director Eric Boullier and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to tip them to be strong at the start of the season.

The Haas team remained coy 𓄧about its chances following pre-season testing, and while Steiner refused to put any firm expectations on the race weekend in Melbourne, he admitted to feeling upbeat about the squad's chances.

"I wꦏould say we are cautiously optimistic - but again testing is not qualifying or a race. We still have a long way t🦩o go," Steiner said.

"We will know more on Saturday where we really stand with the other ones. We know where we are, but even if we are magic, if somebody isꦰ mega-magic, we ar🍨e still behind them.

"I💦'm waiting, but test two looked good for us. The drivers are happy with the car which is always a go💙od thing to have. We'll see what we can do on Saturday and Sunday."

In the second year of the updated technical regulations, Steiner said he expects greater convergence in the midfield as Haas battles with the likes of Renault, McLaren, Toro Rosso, Force India and Williams𒆙.

"I think it will be pretty close, I would say within half a second. It will 🌳be a crowded area within half a second," Steiner said.

"I think almost all of them can be there. It’s a step up from last year, I think they will group more togethe𝄹r.

"Last year, there were a 💜few teams that were✨ on top of it. I don’t think there is anyone on top of it."

Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen backed up his team principal's view when asked by wuqian0821.com about the cluttered midfiel𒆙d fight, predicti💝ng that five or six teams could be battling together.

"I think it’s going to be a very close fight between McLaren, Re🌜nault, probably still Force India, and Toro Rosso," Magnussen said.

"Hard to say where Williams is, 🎃but they are probabl🐓y going to be in there as well at some point - and then hopefully ourselves."