Haas announce Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg staying for 2024
Haas has named an unchanged driver line-up for 2024 with Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg both retained by the American team.
Hulkenberg, 36, had been without a full-time seat on the grid since 2019, but has impressed since replacing Mick Schumacher. Magnussen, 30, was handed a second stint with Haas on the eve of last season after Russian driver Nikita Mazepin was sacked.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said: “It’s safe to say that we’ve had an extremely solid driver pairing this season in Formula One and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that moving forward.
“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.
“On the other side of the garage, Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching 200 starts in Formula One and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.”
Heading into the second half of this year’s 22-round campaign, Haas are eighth of 10 in the constructors’ standings.
Hulkenberg scored the team’s best result of the season so far with a seventh place in Australia in April. He also qualified second at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, and has scored nine points to Magnussen’s two.
“It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance,” said the German.
Magnussen added: “I’m obviously very happy to see my relationship with Haas extended once again.
“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.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub