Haas F1 Team retains Romain Grosjean for 2020 season

Haas' driver line-up will remain unchanged in 2020, with the US outfit retaining the services of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen for a fourth consecutive season.

While Magnussen's commitment to Haas for 2020 was already known, many expected the team to drop Grosjean following the Frenchman's rather subdued season year-to-date and the open interest showed by team boss Guenther Steiner for outgoing Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg.

Ultimately however, Haas has opted for a status quo and the benefits that come with it, according to Steiner.

• Steiner: Haas has been 'standing still' since Melbourne

"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," said Steiner.

"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."

Grosjean is currently in his eighth complete season in F1, having secured 10 podiums over the course of his 157-race career, all of which were achieved with Lotus between 2012 and 2015.

"I’ve always stated that it was my desire to remain with Haas F1 Team and keep building on the team’s accomplishments," said the 33-year-old Frenchman.

"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," added Grosjean.

"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."

Haas' relatively surprising decision to keep Grosjean onboard cats a serious doubt over Nico Hulkenberg's presence on the F1 grid in 2020.

While seats remain open at both Red Bull and Toro Rosso, Helmut Marko will likely either keep those teams' current line-ups unchanged or continue to swap drivers internally.

Alfa Romeo could open its door to the Hulk if Antonio Giovinazzi is dropped, but the young Italian's stock has improved lately, rendering such an option as only a remote possibility.

A return to Williams also appears unlikely as F2 racer Nicholas Latifi is believed to be at the top of the team's short list thanks to a generous budget attached to his services.

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