Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg have been retained by Haas as its driver pairing for 2024 as team principal Guenther Steiner felt there was “no reason to look to change”.
The team has endured a difficult second season under the new aerodynamic regulations that were introduced at the start of last season, scoring just 11 points from 12 races.
On his return to full-time racing in F1 after three years on the sidelines, Hulkenberg has impressed, particularly in qualifying, scoring nine points to sit 14th in the drivers’ standings.
Despite a season of struggle so far for Magnussen, albeit not helped by the inconsistencies and vagaries of the VF-23, Steiner has opted to continue with the Dane for what will be his seventh year overall with the team.
“I think it’s safe to say we’ve had an extremely solid driver pairing this season, and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that moving forward,” said Steiner.
“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 1, and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.”
Steiner readily concedes Haas has had to tackle its issues this season with regards to the VF-23, notably during grands prix as the car rapidly degrades its tyres.
That has left Steiner feeling “extremely fortunate” to have Magnussen and Hulkenberg in support, proclaiming them to be “two drivers whose feedback is invaluable in assisting our engineering objectives”.
He added: “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.”
The 30-year-old Magnussen has naturally declared himself “very happy” to be given another season with Haas, and with the obvious hope now that progress can be made for the remainder of this year and on into 2024.
“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 show potential in the package we have,” said Magnussen.
“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 – learning that can be applied into the 2024 car.”
Hulkenberg, who will make his 200th start in F1 in October’s Mexican Grand Prix, is grateful for the fact Haas has swiftly decided to make a call on its driver line-up for 2024.
“It’s nice to get things sorted early for next season to just keep the focus on racing and improving performance,” remarked Hulkenberg.
“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.”
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