Kevin Magnussen (left) and Romain Grosjean (right) will leave the Haas F1 team at the end of the year. (Haas F1 photo)
KANNAPOLIS, NC – The Haas F1 team is starting the next season with a completely new driver line-up in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Both Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen confirmed on Thursday that they will not be returning to the team after the end of the year and opened the only American team in F-1 for a fresh start.
Grosjean was signed by Haas for its debut season in 2016, along with Esteban Gutierrez that year, before Magnussen came on board the following year.
Grosjean finished in the top six in the team’s first two F-1 races and finished his first year with 29 points, but has had only marginal success since then. His best run this year was the youngest Grand Prix of Eifel, where he finished ninth and scored two points.
“The last chapter is closed and the book is finished,” wrote Grosjean on Facebook, accompanied by a picture of him driving in Austria in 2018. “I’ve been with the Haas F1 Team since day one. Five years of ups and downs, we scored 110 points in 92 races, but the journey was worth it. I’ve learned a lot, improved myself to be both a better driver and a better man.
“I hope I’ve also helped the people on the team to improve. This is probably my greatest pride, more than any of the crazy first races in 2016 or the P4 at the Austrian GP in 2018. I wish the team all the best for the future. “
Grosjean drove in the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010 before moving to the F-1 and has found in the past that he is considering a return to sports cars via the Peugeot hypercar program.
He has 10 career F1 podiums, finished best of career runner-up at the 2012 Canadian Grand Prix, and repeated that feat at the 2013 US Grand Prix. Both efforts came with Lotus.
Magnussen joined Haas F1 from Renault for the 2017 season. He has been the team’s top-rated driver for the past two seasons.
He achieved his best fifth team result twice in 2018, first at the Bahrain Grand Prix and again at the Austrian Grand Prix.
“The 2020 Formula 1 season will be my last with the Haas F1 team,” said Magnussen. “I had a great time with the team for four years and I look back on a great journey. It was a challenge to be part of a brand new team that I really enjoyed and it brought me a lot of experience that helped me grow and develop as a racer.
“I would like to thank Gene, Günther and the entire racing team for their loyalty and trust in me over the past four years. I am still working on my future plans which I will announce in due course, ”he added. “There are six races left this season and I am determined to give everything to finish at a high point. Thank you all for your support. “
Together, the duo achieved the best result for Haas F1 in the Formula 1 constructors ‘championship in 2018, when the team finished fifth in the constructors’ points.
Team boss Günther Steiner issued a statement on Thursday in which he recognized both Grosjean and Magnussen for their contributions to the Haas F1 operation.
“I would like to thank both Romain (Grosjean) and Kevin (Magnussen) for their hard work and dedication to the Haas F1 team over the past few seasons,” said Steiner. “Romain was an integral part of our business as we tried to get a driver on board with speed and experience. His results in early 2016 were a fair reward, not only for his own talent but also for the tremendous effort the team had put into getting to the start this season. When Kevin entered a season later we saw an instant return with both cars scoring points and of course our first colons of that year ended in Monaco.
“We have a lot of good memories together – especially of our 2018 season, when we only finished fifth in the overall standings in our third season. Romain and Kevin have contributed significantly to this success. Of course there are still a lot of races in the 2020 season. It was undoubtedly a challenging year, but both drivers gave their all behind the wheel of the VF-20.
“We appreciate your contributions and experiences in helping the team advance to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.”
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