Haas may keep Grosjean, K-Mag for doing ‘good job’

Jon Wilde
Haas Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen Haas

Haas gift Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen steering wheels.

Guenther Steiner believes the “good job” Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have done for Haas over four years weighs in their favour towards staying with the team.

Haas have admitted all options are open for next year’s driver line-up – from no change, at one end of the spectrum, to two rookies at the other extreme.

Among those being linked with the Haas seats are Nico Hulkenberg, whose only appearances in F1 this season have been at Silverstone when standing in for Sergio Perez after he contracted COVID-19, and a trio of Ferrari Academy drivers currently competing in F2.

They are the F2 Championship leader Robert Shwartzman of Russia, Britain’s Callum Ilott and Germany’s Mick Schumacher, son of Michael.

All four, including Hulkenberg, have also been mentioned as possible candidates for Alfa Romeo who, like Haas, are supplied with Ferrari engines. Alfa Romeo’s drivers presently are Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Grosjean and Magnussen have been a partnership at Haas since 2017 and the Frenchman there a year longer, since the team first entered F1, with Steiner admitting that their longevity is a plus point in talks regarding their futures.

Romain Grosjean Haas
Romain Grosjean Haas

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“I think their strengths are that they are both experienced drivers now,” said Steiner. “They are both with us a long time, Romain even a year longer than Kevin and in the end they did a good job for us – but sometimes you need change.

“But we don’t know. I’m not saying that we change them. I just don’t know what we are going to do. I’m not thinking a lot about it right now.”

The key, it appears, to the decision will be the presence of team owner Gene Haas at a forthcoming grand prix when Steiner can hold talks about drivers for 2021.

“Gene hopefully comes to some of the next races and then I can sit down with him and discuss our drivers or what he will do for the future, which direction we go,” added Steiner.

“For sure, Gene will have his ideas and we will put everything together and come up with a solution for it.”

Before the Belgian Grand Prix, Steiner had also said: “I want Gene’s input on the drivers but at the moment everything is on the table – if you want the seat you can apply for it! Everything is possible in the moment.”

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