Yahoo Autos More of the Same: Haas F1 Team Opts for Stability, Retains Magnussen and Hulkenberg
The Haas F1 Team will enter the 2024 Formula 1 season with an unchanged driver lineup after retaining both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.
It is the first time since 2019-20 that Haas has not changed one or both drivers during the off-season.
Magnussen spent 2017-20 with Haas before returning for 2022 and went on to claim a shocking first pole for both driver and team at the São Paulo Grand Prix. Haas recruited Hulkenberg for 2023—returning the German to the grid after a three-year absence -and he has impressed despite the VF-23’s limitations.
Hulkenberg has taken nine points to Magnussen’s two and scored second place during a rain-hit qualifying session in Canada. Hulkenberg is 14th in the F1 Drivers' Standings and Magnussen is 18th. As a team, Haas is eighth in the Constructors' Championship with 11 points—well behind it's total of 37 points in 2022.
Haas has now elected to stick with the veteran driver pairing for the 2024 campaign.
“I think it’s safe to say that we’ve had an extremely solid driver pairing this season in Formula 1 and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that moving forward,” said Guenther Steiner, Haas team principal.
“Kevin is obviously a very well-known quantity to us, and I’m delighted he’ll return for what will be his seventh season in Haas colors. Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team.
“We’ve had to tackle our issues this season with regards to the VF-23, we don’t hide from that, but we’ve been extremely fortunate to have had two drivers whose feedback is invaluable in assisting our engineering objectives.
“Kevin and Nico gelled well right from the get-go and together they’ve both scored points, and in particular, Nico has excelled in qualifying.
“Of note is also just how much energy both drivers bring to the table, they’ve been fantastic not only in terms of their engagement within the team, but critically, in our partner activations and fan facing opportunities.
“Now it’s down to us as a team to look ahead to 2024 and ensure we have a car that’s capable of scoring points consistently.”
Both Magnussen and Hulkenberg expressed hope over Haas’ long-term future as well as satisfaction that confirmation of next year’s plans will avoid any uncertainty across the remainder of 2023.
“There’s plenty of racing remaining in 2023 and we’ve got a lot of work to do to continue to understand the VF-23—that learning can be applied into the 2024 car,” said Magnussen.
Added Hulkenberg: “It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance. We're competing in a very tight midfield and I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve done together so far and taking that forward into 2024.”
Haas’ driver line-up since joining F1:
2016: Romain Grosjean/Esteban Gutierrez
2017: Romain Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen
2018: Romain Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen
2019: Romain Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen
2020: Romain Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen*
2021: Mick Schumacher/Nikita Mazepin
2022: Mick Schumacher/Kevin Magnussen
2023: Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen
*Pietro Fittipaldi replaced Romain Grosjean at 2 events
