Haas end all speculation as they confirm F1 2024 driver line-up

Haas have announced that both Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg will be staying for the 2024 season.

The contracts of both drivers had been due to expire at the end of the year and while the future of Hulkenberg looked more assured, Magnussen’s was less certain with the Dane experiencing a difficult season to this point.

But Haas have kept faith with both drivers, offering them deals that will keep them on the grid for 2024 at least.

Haas keep faith with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg

The American team have announced that both drivers will be staying for the 2024 season with team boss Guenther Steiner praising the “extremely solid driver pairing.”

“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,” he said.

“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 colours. With 113 starts for our team alone, we know where his strengths lie and his knowledge and experience of our organisation pairs very well with that too.

”另一边的车库,尼克只是slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching 200 starts in Formula 1 and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.”

Hulkenberg has been particularly impressive when it comes to qualifying and while the tyre degradation of the VF-23 has not helped him in the race, his performances have not gone unnoticed.

“It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance,” the German said.

“I enjoy being part of the team and share Gene and Guenther’s passion for it. 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.”

Magnussen meanwhile was pleased to continue at a team he has now spent six seasons at.

“I’m obviously very happy to see my relationship with Haas extended once again,” stated Magnussen.

“My return in 2022 had been unexpected but was filled with numerous highlights, and although this season hasn’t gone quite as we’d hoped, we’ve still managed to get into the points and shown potential in the package we have.

“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. My thanks, as always, go to Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for giving me the opportunity to keep racing in the sport I love.”

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Speaking about this season, Steiner said it was useful to have two experienced drivers while the car was not at its best.

“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 – getting into Q3 on six occasions. Having not raced in Formula 1 full-time since 2019 that shows you just how professional he is and how he’s looked after himself physically.

“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.

“Kevin and Nico are clearly enjoying their time in the sport, they both have mature heads on their shoulders, and they fundamentally understand what it is we’re asking of them. In turn, 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.”

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