The Haas F1 Team has officially confirmed its driver lineup for the 2017 Formula One World Championship, which will be its second year in the series.
As expected, Kevin Magnussen, who currently races for the Renault F1 team, will move over to the American-based team for the 2017 season, where he will race alongside Romain Grosjean.
This means Esteban Gutierrez is currently out a ride for the 2017 season. The Mexican is already looking for a ride at Manor.
Magnussen, 24, already has two years of Formula One racing experience under his belt, and the Dane currently sits 16th in the World Championship standings.
“This is a fantastic opportunity and I’m very happy to be a part of Haas F1 Team,” said Magnussen. “Obviously, I’m confident in my abilities as a Formula One driver, but I’m also very confident of what Haas F1 Team can do in its second season and every season thereafter. Gene Haas has come into Formula One with a strong vision and a different way of doing things. He’s making it work and work well. I’ve had a good vantage point all season long, and I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of next year’s Haas VF-17.”
“From the time we began looking at drivers, Kevin Magnussen was always on our short list,” said team founder Gene Haas. “He’s accomplished a lot in a very short period of time, and we feel like he can accomplish a lot with us. Our second season will bring a new set of challenges, and we feel that pairing Kevin with Romain will help us develop our new car and continue our growth.
“I want to thank Esteban Gutiérrez for all of his efforts. He’s been an instrumental part of our first year in Formula One and we’re looking forward to finishing the season strong with him and Romain.”
As for Grosjean, he will enter his second full season with the Haas F1 Team, having scored all of the team’s 29 points to this point.
“A little more than a year ago I made my decision to join Haas F1 Team and it was absolutely the right decision,” said Grosjean. “I’m very proud to be a part of the team’s development and am very happy we can continue to grow and achieve more success in the years ahead.”
So pleased to announce my plans for the future. Can't wait to join @HaasF1Team! #NeverGiveUpOnTheDream pic.twitter.com/2VxWR1U95I
— Kevin Magnussen (@KevinMagnussen) November 11, 2016
