Formula 1 drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen have taken to social media to announce their respective departures from Haas at the end of the 2020 Season.
- Rumours had been circulating for a couple of weeks about potential changes to the Haas lineup, with Grosjean having declared interest in Peugeot's WEC project, and Magnussen being linked to an Indycar seat.
- Grosjean used his Facebook account to share the news that he would be leaving the American team, with Magnussen taking to Instagram shortly afterwards.
- Team Principal Gunther Steiner has since said that no decision has been made yet on who will fill their seats.
Today, Romain Grosjean and his teammate Kevin Magnussen announced via social media that this season will be their last with the Haas F1 team. Grosjean is in his fifth year with the American team, having been a part of the project since day one in 2016, after four full seasons at Lotus. Magnussen meanwhile is in his fourth year with the team, having joined in 2017 after stints at McLaren and Renault.
Neither the Frenchman nor the Dane have yet secured contracts for next season, and with seats elsewhere in short supply, it looks unlikely that we will see either line up on the F1 grid next year.
Romain Grosjean shared the news with his fans this morning, posting on Facebook:
"The last chapter is closed and the book is finished," he posted on Facebook.
"I've been with Haas F1 Team since day one.
"Five years during which we went through highs and lows, scored 110 points in 92 races, but the journey was worth it.
"I've learned a lot, improved to be a better driver as well as a better man.
"I hope I've also helped people in the team to improve themself.
"This is probably my biggest pride, more than any of the crazy first races in 2016 or the P4 at the Austrian GP 2018.
"I wish the team all the best for the future."
Just minutes later, Magnussen shared the same news about his own future via Instagram:
"The 2020 Formula 1 season will be my last with Haas F1 Team," the Dane posted on Instagram.
"I have had a great time with the team for four years and I look back at a great journey.
"Being part of a brand new team has been a challenge that I have thoroughly enjoyed and it has brought me a huge amount of experience that has helped me grow and develop as a racing driver.
"I would like to thank Gene, Guenther and all of the race team for their loyalty and trust in me over the past four years."
Speaking about the news later on, their boss, Gunther Steiner explained that the decision had been made "two or three weeks ago", and that he had told Kevin and Romain last week about the decision:
"I think we wanted to be fair to them...We could have kept it for us for a while, and then just do it. But I think the guys were good with us in the last years.
"We said we're not going that way, we're going to do some changes, and therefore we want to tell them so they've got a chance to find something else.
"If we tell them only whenever we decide who is going to drive the car, it could be the end of the year, and they would have a lesser chance to find something for next year."
Grosjean has been with Haas since the very beginning, and has completed 94 races for them to date, picking up a total of 104 points, and claiming a best finish in the Drivers' Championship of 13th. His last race for Haas in Abu Dhabi will mark his 100th with the American team, and no doubt be a special moment for both parties.
The Frenchman, now an experienced driver with 175 Grand Prix starts under his belt looks like he could be set to continue his career in the World Endurance Championship. Commenting recently on Peugeot's Hypercar project, Romain said that he "will get in touch sometime", with it being something he is "hugely interested in for the future."
In his 73 races with Haas F1 since joining in 2017, Magnussen has picked up a total of 96 points, with a best Drivers' Championship finish of 9th in 2018. By the end of this season, his stints with McLaren, Renault and finally Haas will have seen him compete in 120 Grand Prix weekends.
The Dane has been linked to an Indycar seat, and has since admitted that it is something he might be interested in pursuing:
"IndyCar has been something that I've been interested in always.
"My dad was an IndyCar driver back in the nineties. And I've been to IndyCar races with him as a small child, and I just always thought it was super cool, and I would love to have a go in that some time."
We wait to hear from Team Principal, Gunther Steiner and Team Owner, Gene Haas about their team's 2021 lineup, but just who might we see fill the vacant seats?
British Formula Two driver, Callum Ilott will no doubt be under consideration. Having taken eight poles, three wins and eight podiums in F2, Ilott was set to run in FP1 at the Nurburgring for Haas before the session was washed out. He is still likely to make his F1 debut later this year in a practice session, possibly in Bahrain or Abu Dhabi.
Various sources have pointed to Mick Schumacher as another name that could fit the bill for Haas in 2021. The son of seven-time World Champion, Michael Schumacher has already won the F3 title, and is currently leading this year's F2 championship. He too was set to debut in FP1 at the Nurburgring, but for Alfa Romeo.
The other candidate who is in a good position seems to be Russian, Nikita Mazepin. The 2018 runner-up in GP3, now races in Formula 2, and has taken two wins, five podiums and two poles. He also carries the advantage of bringing strong financial backing.
It looks increasingly likely that Haas are set to back two rookies next season, and as we look ahead to the rest of this year's racing, there will be great interest about just who they might be.