Romain Grosjean to drive for Haas F1 in 2016
Haas F1’s inaugural effort will have an experienced Formula 1 driver behind the wheel.
The team said Tuesday that Romain Grosjean will be one of its two drivers. Haas F1, owned by Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner Gene Haas, is entering Formula 1 in 2016. The team will have Ferrari engines.
“What Gene Haas and everyone at Haas F1 Team is building is impressive, and I’m very proud to be a part of it,” Grosjean said in a statement. “Formula One is incredibly competitive and the only way to succeed is by finding new ways of doing things. This is a new opportunity with a new team that is taking a very different approach to Formula One. I believe in their approach and they believe in me. While I am committed to giving my absolute best to my current team in these last five races, I am very excited for what the future holds at Haas F1 Team.”
Grosjean, 29, currently drives for Lotus, which is in the midst of financial turmoil at the moment. Grosjean had six podium finishes and finished seventh in the 2013 standings. He was 14th in 2014 as the team struggled with reliability issues and is ninth in the 2015 standings. His only podium finish this season came at Spa where he finished third.
“We wanted an experienced driver capable of developing our car and our race team into one that can score points and better itself each race and each season. We found him in Romain Grosjean,” Haas said in a statement. “I’ve been involved in motorsports for a long time and learned early on the most crucial component is the driver. Romain has strong credentials and he will be an important asset to Haas F1 Team.”
A second driver is to be announced for the team. Many believe it will be Esteban Gutierrez, who is currently a Ferrari reserve driver. Gutierrez drove for Sauber in 2013 and 2014.
Haas F1 will be the first U.S.-based team to race in F1 since Haas Lola in 1985 and 1986 (Note: Haas Lola was owned by Carl Haas of open-wheel’s Newman-Haas Racing).
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
