Two more seats have been confirmed on the 2019 F1 grid…

Haas F1 Team has announced it will field an unchanged line-up in the 2019 Formula 1 season, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen retaining their seats.

Currently fifth in the constructors’ championship, Haas has regularly towards the front of the perceived ‘class B’ this year having been boosted by a closer link with Ferrari.

Grosjean, 32, is 14th in the points, with 25-year-old team-mate Magnussen ninth. They will enter their ninth and fifth seasons in F1 respectively.

The American squad has been in F1 since 2016, and is owned by Gene Haas. 

Team principal Guenther Steiner said it was “an easy decision to make” to retain the pairing. “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. We’ve improved drastically from last year to this year.

“Both drivers push each other to be better, and their collective feedback allows us to be better. It’s not a coincidence that in their second year as team-mates, Haas F1 Team is having its best year. By keeping Romain and Kevin together, we aim to do even better next year.”

The remaining unconfirmed seats on the grid for next year are at Williams, Toro Rosso and Force India. View the grid so far.

“It’s impressive to see what this team has accomplished in such a relatively short time,” added Grosjean. “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. 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 honor to be a part of it.”

Magnussen said: “I’ve never been in a better situation than the one I’m in here at Haas F1 Team. 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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