Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Haas, Circuit de Catalunya, 2018

Haas keep Grosjean and Magnussen for 2019

2019 F1 season

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Haas has confirmed Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will continue to drive for them in the 2019 F1 season.

Team principal Guenther Steiner said retaining the pair was “a pretty easy decision” for the team heading into its fourth full season next year.

“From the very beginning, we needed experienced drivers to hasten the development of our car and our team, and we have two very good and experienced drivers in Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen,” he said. “We’ve improved drastically from last year to this year, so retaining both drivers was a pretty easy decision.”

Grosjean, who has driven for the team since its first season and achieved its best finish to date with fourth place in this year’s Austrian Grand Prix, said it’s “impressive to see what this team has accomplished in such a relatively short time.”

“For someone who has been here since the very beginning, I take a lot of pride in the time, effort and sacrifice we’ve all put forth to make Haas F1 Team so competitive,” he added.

“I’m very happy to continue with Haas F1 Team and represent Haas Automation and all of our partners. Gene Haas has built something very special – something we can make even better – and it’s an honour to be a part of it.”

Magnussen, who has scored 49 of the team’s 76 of the team’s points so far this year, will start his third season at the team in 2019.

“I’ve never been in a better situation than the one I’m in here at Haas F1 Team,” he said. “This is a team filled with racers and we’re all striving for the same thing.

“There’s no bureaucracy and everything is very straightforward. Gene Haas is all about efficiency, and he and Guenther Steiner have created a very efficient environment that gets the best from its people. We all believe in each other and that’s why we’ve achieved as much as we have.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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44 comments on “Haas keep Grosjean and Magnussen for 2019”

  1. Grosjean? Really? What potential do teams see in him? His season has been a disaster and Magnussen have been well ahead most of the time.

    I’m happy to see Ericsson go, but this is a massive let-down.

    1. Issue for Haas was there was no good replacement available.
      Kudos to Grosjean. At start of the season, I really felt he was done. But by hook or crook, he has made it.

    2. He’s fast on a good day. Error prone, yes, but he has speed. On equal footing, I think he’s outperformed KMag (I don’t have the stats to hand, I’m going subjectively).

      1. Fact finding is a good thing before writing… MAG is on top regarding race pace, qualifys and points… Your comment is ridiculous

      2. Ridiculous. Grossjeans should well and truly have earned a pink slip not only for his multitude of mistakes, but his constant whining, complaining, and overall temperament within the team.

    3. You mean the potential to get on the podium like he’s done on numerous occasions? Or the potential to win considering he’s already lead a race, and he was one of the few to get in between the red bulls when they were dominant? Also in the Haas, Grosjean has been occasionally been ‘best of the rest’ in qualifying and races. How’s that for potential? Enjoy the rest of the year and 2019

    4. This announcement takes the pressure off Grosjean.
      Now he can go all out and chase that race suspension without any concerns for next season.
      In fact, taking the ban this season would allow him to start next year with a clean slate!

  2. Grosjean is a fast driver. He has fast spells. Before 2018 he had a good run since 2013. I don’t believe there are many faster drivers out there and one should not forget the faith Grosjean gave to them at the start of Haas and how he singlehandedly gave them their first two placings in the championship

    1. @tango
      Completely agree with you. But let’s not forget he’s a driver many love to hate, so the backlash will probably be considerable.

    2. + 1 Grosjean does have his wild moments but he has phases where he is fast and consistent. I think they have done the right thing.

      People do seem to run him down a lot though. I’m not really sure why.

      1. People do seem to run him down a lot though. I’m not really sure why.

        A quick review of this years races – or even the previous one – should provide a hint or two.

  3. Maybe it is just the engineer in me, but I like the Haas approach. Continuity, working with what you have, methodically changing one parameter at a time, focusing on development rather than grasping at chancy quick-fixes. The long-haul approach.

  4. Leclerc to Ferrari – yay!
    Stroll to RPFI – boo!
    Vandoorne off the grid – yay!
    Ericsson off the grid – yay!
    Alonso off the grid – boo!
    Grosjean on the grid – boo!
    Ocon off the grid – boo!

    If Torro Rosso keep Hartley and Williams go for an all-russian pay driver line-up, it’ll be shaping up to be a pretty weak grid in 2019 in my eyes…

    1. @joeypropane Yup more boos to come I would think, especially if Kvyat returns to STR.

    2. If… Williams go for an all-russian pay driver line-up

      @joeypropane – I’m curious, who’s the other Russian? Mazepin? Have there been rumours of that?

      1. @phylyp I think it’s Markelov. I’ve read somewhere however that him and Sirotkin have clashing sponsors, so that line up wouldn’t work

        1. yep, that’s what i heard and read too @johnmilk, Williams likely going for a Sirotkin-Markelov all russian line up @phylyp, I guess the Russians would have to make it out between themselves to make that possible

          1. And Kvyat in a TR…

            Warn everyone! The Russkies are coming!!

    3. @joeypropane
      Leclerc to Ferrari – yay!
      Stroll to RPFI – boo!
      Vandoorne off the grid – boo!
      Ericsson off the grid – yay!
      Alonso off the grid – 50-50!
      Grosjean on the grid – 50-50!
      Ocon off the grid – boo!
      Raikkonen to Sauber – boo!
      Kvyat to STR – boo!

    4. Ocon could still land a seat at Williams and Vandoorne one at Red Bull

  5. Ocon is better than both these two. F1 can be so cruel at times.

    1. Toto has no balls to let him go

      1. If Bottas has a 2019 season like this, I don’t doubt it will be Ocon in the 2d Mercedes in 2020.

      2. Ocon’s goal is to take Bottas’ (or Hamilton’s) seat. Severing ties with Mercedes to go to TR wouldn’t help @johnmilk.

        1. @x303 that’s not Ocon’s goal, that’s Toto’s

          1. In the end, Esteban would be in a championship capable car. Far from what a TR can reach.
            If the price is one year on the bench: so be it! @johnmilk

  6. I regard Grosjean as a very good driver who deserves to stay on the grid.

    The thing he needs to work on is consistency but when he gets it right – there aren’t too many drivers on the grid who can outpace him.

    1. He’s like a more extreme version of Button or Webber… Except their lows were to be struggling in the mid-field, whereas Romain’s lows are to be in a barrier or causing a huge accident. If he was 5 years younger, or this was his 4th or 5th season, i’d say give him a shot, but he’s had too many opportunities to shake off that “inconsistent” tag now.

    2. I will never forget Grosjean crashing in the warming up lap in Brazil some years ago. That, for me, was the ultimate proof he will never be a top driver.

      1. Isn’t that race where Rosberg nearly crashed and was passed by Verstappen? My point being: even world champions can be bad in the wet @rinodina. :)

        1. @x303 Crashing during a race, or even in practice, is somewhat different from crashing in the warming up lap ;)

  7. Unsurprising.

  8. Wow….. just wow.
    You could have gotten a lot of better drivers. Or just gave one in Indycar a shot.
    Yes…. there are some good ones that deserve a shot.
    Rossi, Newgarden for example.
    For drivers that are facing a bleak situation…. is Toto the only one to break off the relationship. Why isnt Ocon dropping him and trying his best by himself and a different manager.

  9. Weak. GRO is just too inconsistent for my liking, and a whiner. I would have made every effort to get OCON in the Haas.

  10. I know this has no relevance but imagine Alonso in the Haas, he would be 5th or 6th in the championship right now ahead of one of the Red Bulls. If Ocon or Perez were driving the Haas one of them would easily be ahead of Hulkenberg in the points. In more none relevant wishful news now that Alonso has left McLaren they will produce a decent car next year that can be the 4th or 5th fastest on the grid!

    1. Alonso has been very good, no question about it, in his last f1 season, but it takes a lot to beat a car like red bull which is 1-1,5 sec faster than haas in race pace, and their drivers aren’t slow either, I don’t think alonso could’ve beaten any red bull, even taking into account their bad reliability.

  11. I think some people might be getting Ocon’s abilities a little out of proportion. He’s done well enough and I think he does deserve a seat next year.

    However, to read some people’s comments you would think it was someone of the calibre of Verstappen or Ricciardo who was not getting a seat! Imagine Ocon in a Haas or in a McLaren. Would he really have done any better than their current drivers?

    1. He would have outperformed both Haas drivers

    2. Agreed. Ocon has some potential, but he definitely is no Verstappen.
      And i’m not comparing his pinks cars with Verstappen’s Red Bulls, but with Verstappen’s Toro Rosso.

      Even back in ’15 it was clear as day this guy was something special.
      Ocon may be very good, but he still the around Pérez’s level.

      1. Yes, when you put him in the haas, he’s consistent and would do better than grosjean, but vs magnussen I already have my doubts, if he’d beat him it wouldn’t be a cakewalk.

      2. I think Ocon is (much) better than Perez. The latter will probably be mightily relieved to have Stroll as a team mate next year instead of Ocon.

  12. Fudge Kobayashi (@)
    28th September 2018, 16:06

    Anyone who did what Moanjean did at the start of the Barcelona race doesnt deserve a seat anywhere. Crap decision.

  13. Grosjean? Really?
    Just when you think you really couldn’t cut it as a top manager in F1, you get a decision to keep Romain Grosjean.
    Talk about minor league management, how many idiotic, unnecessary crashes does it take to convince you this guy just doesn’t have it.
    The Haas F1 car in 2018 is far beyond the capabilities of either of the Haas drivers and because of that, the team is struggling.
    If this were Roger Penske, he would have found a way to get Esteban Ocon into that car and most likely someone else to replace Magnussen.
    I was really hoping Haas would maximize their potential in 2019 but unfortunately, they have shot themselves in the foot and they will be lucky to finish in the top 7 next year.
    Grosjean will struggle to finish 50% of the races.
    Talk about the “skidders”!!

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