Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says they will announce their drivers for the 2021 F1 season “soon”, amid growing speculation over their selection.
The team has already confirmed Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen will not remain with them next year. Speaking in today’s FIA press conference Steiner said the team “plan to announce” their replacements “before the season is ending.“We don’t know exactly the date yet but it’s not long to wait. So it’s a maximum of two weeks. So please be patient.”
The team is widely expected to appoint two new drivers from Formula 2 next year. However Steiner made it clear their choice is “not dependent” on anyone’s performance in F1’s leading feeder series.
Formula 2 points leader Mick Schumacher is expected to be chosen over title rival and fellow Ferrari Driver Academy member Callum Ilott for one of the Haas seats. Ilott confirmed during today’s F2 press conference he already knows his 2021 plans, but did not reveal them.
“All I’m going to say is I’m solely focussed on F2 and finishing the season as high as possible,” he said.
“Obviously I expect these questions to come but I’m not going to answer it yet. All I can say is when you ask if the dream is over, if I’m not racing in Formula 1 next year, I’m going to do everything I can to race in Formula 1 next year, 2022.”
The second Haas seat is tipped to go the way of another F2 race-winner, Nikita Mazepin.
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Aiii (@)
27th November 2020, 15:32
I never got the “we know who the drivers will be. Everyone else knows who the drivers will be. The drivers know who the drivers will be” so we’re not going to announce anything for months, just because.
Adam (@rocketpanda)
27th November 2020, 17:09
Quite disappointed if Ilott doesn’t get into F1 this year. He’s certainly more deserving of it than Mazepin.
DeanR
27th November 2020, 21:45
AND more deserving than Schumacher!!
Not George
27th November 2020, 17:29
Guardian headline “Alexei Navalny calls for EU sanctions on Russian oligarchs” may be worth a read for Guenther & Co. Calls Vladimir Putin and his entourage “a bunch of criminals who temporarily took over power”. Rich Energy will be a drop in the ocean compared to these guys. “Sportwashing” may take on a whole new meaning (equally distasteful as the current Bahrain/Saudi/China/Russia actions).
kpcart
28th November 2020, 2:00
Looks like Haas will have the worst driver pair on the grid next year. With so many races next year, i expect them to finish last behind alfa and williams. Schumacher is no better than piqyet jr or brunno senna and i predict a nice career in sportscars.
Dave
28th November 2020, 10:03
Piquet Jr was a Crashgate victim in 2008. Bruno’s karting career abruptly halted after his uncle’s death and he didn’t race until 2004.
So why do you think he will be worse than Piquet Jr and Bruno Senna?