Magnussen hopes Haas owner stays in F1

Aug.1 (GMM) Gene Haas is still yet to decide whether to keep his Formula 1 team up and racing.

The small American team has already declared that, amid the corona crisis, the 2020 car will not be developed at all.

“We are using this year to stabilise ourselves again after the pandemic and try to make sure next year we are in a better position,” team boss Gunther Steiner said at Silverstone.

And with the Concorde Agreement expiring in a matter of months, another goal for 2020 is to “keep Gene happy” so that he signs the next one for 2021 and beyond.

“You are evaluated every weekend when you go racing, so let’s see how we can keep him happy,” said Steiner.

The situation means that the futures of Haas’ two drivers, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, are also particularly clouded.

“I have not talked to Gene about the future,” Magnussen told BT newspaper, amid reports Haas has an option on him for the 2021 season but is yet to pick it up.

“It’s not something I get involved in,” the Dane insisted. “I just try to do as well as possible on the track, and then of course I hope that Gene still wants to be involved.

“As far as I know, there is nothing new on that.”