In what many will view as a surprising move, Haas has chosen to retain both drivers for next year, instead of signing somebody like Nico Hulkenberg, who will step down from Renault in favor of Esteban Ocon.
Next season will be Grosjean and Magnussen’s fourth year together at Haas, for which they have combined to score a total of 166 points since they first joined forces back in 2017. Thanks to their efforts, Haas F1 Team finished fifth overall in the Constructors Championship last season.
“Experience, and the need for it, has been one of the cornerstones of Haas F1 Team, and with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen racing for the team in 2020, we continue to have a driver lineup that offers us a solid platform to continue our growth,” stated team principal, Guenther Steiner.
“Their understanding of how we work as a team, and our knowledge of what they can deliver behind the wheel, gives us a valued continuity and a strong foundation to keep building our team around. It’s been a tough year for us in 2019 with the fluctuation in performance of the VF-19, but our ability to tap into our combined experiences will help us learn, improve, and move forward as a unit in 2020.”
Despite a strong outing in 2018, this year hasn’t been particularly kind to the American outfit, which is currently positioned 9th (second-to-last) in the Constructors Standings, behind the likes of McLaren, Renault, Toro Rosso, Racing Point and even Alfa Romeo.
Also read: Haas F1 Driver Romain Grosjean Puts Jaguar XF Through Its Paces
“I’ve always stated that it was my desire to remain with Haas F1 Team and keep building on the team’s accomplishments,” said Grosjean.
“Having been here since the very beginning and seen the work both Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner put into the team to make it competitive, I’m naturally very happy to continue to be a part of that. To finish fifth in the constructors’ championship last season in only the team’s third year of competing was something very special. We’ve had our challenges this season, but we’ll use both the experience of last year and this year to move forward into 2020. I’m looking forward to working with Kevin (Magnussen) and the whole team and continuing our journey together.”
Now that another domino has fallen in the 2020 F1 driver market, the number of landing spots for Nico Hulkenberg has gone down significantly. Out of all the teams that have yet to confirm their driver lineup for next year, only Alfa Romeo, Toro Rosso and Williams remain, as Red Bull will most likely move forward with Verstappen and Albon.
