Kevin Magnussen's last race with Renault ended after just five in Abu Dhabi after the Dane was hit from behind and had to call it a day with a broken suspension on his RS16.
Despite a disappointing end to his year with Renault, Magnussen was full of praise for the French outfit and the group he worked with in 2016.
"It wasn’t the way I wanted to end what I thought was a good season with a great bunch of people," said the Dane.
"Results-wise it hasn’t been the best but I’ve learned a lot, I’ve had a great time with the team and I got to know a lot of really good people.
"I wish Renault Sport all the best in the future and I’m sure we’ll all still have fun in the paddock."
Magnussen is now keen to get down to work with his new team, Haas, an outfit which he views as "simple and straightforward".
"They are simple in their structure and management," he told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. "They are very open, honest and straightforward, which I like."
Magnussen denied signing on with US team was a step back after rejecting Renault's offer to remain with the yellow squad.
"I do not think it is a step backwards. In F1, it is important to be in a factory team. But if it doesn't perform, you can't perform.
"I think the guys at Williams and Force India for example should be quite happy, because they get good results and have good careers. They still have opportunities to reach world championship teams."
Scene at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Quotes of the week
DRIVER RATINGS: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
