Formula 1: Haas confirm Grosjean and Magnussen for 2020 line-up
In a move which may surely put a broad smile on the faces of the two drivers who desperately need to uplift their current season's performance, Haas have decided to retain their current driver line-up for the next Formula 1 season.
This means that both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, with an experience of 157 race starts and 95 starts respectively, will be racing under the American banner in 2020.
After the 14 races held so far with only 7 more to go in the remainder of the season, Haas currently find themselves on the ninth position in the constructors' standings, having bagged no more than 26 points. They are currently struggling for form as they look to outpace the team immediately in front on the points tally, i.e., Alfa Romeo with 34 points.
But it must be said that where the recent events stand, particularly the Grand Prix of Hungary, Belgium, and Italy, then Haas have collectively failed to score a single point with both drivers consistently falling well outside of the top ten on the grid.
Although, it ought to be remembered that in the initial few races of the ongoing season, Haas had demonstrated great consistency and fine form on the grid, giving both Alfa Romeo and Renault some strong competition.
Kevin Magnussen's form, in particular, formed the key highlight of a strong start to Haas' 2019 season as the Dane got off to a flier at the Australian Grand Prix, grabbing a fighting sixth, while it took his French-Swiss teammate 5 races to open his account.
Having said that, Grosjean's start to the current season was way more tumultuous than expected, with the 33-year-old going on to score a respectable P10 but not before the fifth race on the calendar, in the Spanish Grand Prix. His run-up until that Grand Prix included 3 DNFs in 4 races.
But that told, the team's decision for the next season, it is believed, has been taken in order to carry forward the principle of "experience" and "continuity" for the forthcoming season.
On the occasion of the confirmation of the same driver pairing heading into the next 2020 F1 season, Team Principal Gunther Steiner happened to share some interesting insights: "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."