Ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, more has been revealed about the state of Formula 1’s 2020 grid. Firstly, Haas have announced that they are retaining both drivers for next season. This comes after the speculation surrounding Romain Grosjean’s future, as it was recently confirmed that Nico Hulkenberg would not be racing for Renault next year.
After winning the battle to retain his seat, Grosjean commented:
“I’ve always stated that it was my desire to remain with Haas F1 Team and keep building on the team’s accomplishments. Having been here since the very beginning and seen the work both Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner put into the team to make it competitive, I’m naturally very happy to continue to be a part of that. To finish fifth in the constructors’ championship last season in only the team’s third year of competing was something very special. We’ve had our challenges this season, but we’ll use both the experience of last year and this year to move forward into 2020. I’m looking forward to working with Kevin [Magnussen] and the whole team and continuing our journey together.”
The Haas team principal, Guenther Steiner, also added:
“Experience, and the need for it, has been one of the cornerstones of Haas F1 Team, and with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen racing for the team in 2020, we continue to have a driver lineup that offers us a solid platform to continue our growth. Their understanding of how we work as a team, and our knowledge of what they can deliver behind the wheel, gives us a valued continuity and a strong foundation to keep building our team around. It’s been a tough year for us in 2019 with the fluctuation in performance of the VF-19, but our ability to tap into our combined experiences will help us learn, improve, and move forward as a unit in 2020.”
There has also been some other big news, Robert Kubica and Williams will part company at the end of the season. Kubica, who has had 1 points scoring finish since his fairytale return to F1, has trailed his rookie teammate George Russell for the majority of the season, and confirmed the news himself in the driver’s press conference ahead of the weekend’s race.
He said this on the matter:
“I have taken the decision that I will not continue more with Williams after this year. The decision opens a bit the opportunities for me for the future in different scenarios and now I will evaluate what is possible.”
“This season has been very tough from a performance point of view, but it’s been also very demanding. Being back in Formula 1 after a long time is not easy, and especially when you’re in a difficult situation like we are. But still, nevertheless, I have to thank the team for the opportunity and we’ll see what the future will bring.”
Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal, issued this statement after the announcement:
“I would like to thank Robert for his hard work and respect his decision to leave the team at the end of the 2019 season.
“Robert has been an important member of the team in both his role as Reserve & Development Driver, and subsequently as one of our Race Drivers in 2019. We thank him for his continued efforts throughout what has been a challenging couple of seasons and wish him well in his future endeavours.”
This now leaves the door open for a return to Williams for Hulkenberg, after the news from Haas; or maybe a step up to F1 for the Formula 2 driver Nicholas Latifi.
What do you think about the news? Have they all made the correct decisions? and who do you think will replace Kubica at Williams?
That Sport Blog 