Grosjean ‘keen to move forward’ after extending Haas stay

Romain Grosjean has been a cornerstone of the Haas team since they raced onto the F1 grid in 2016 - but there were question marks about whether he’d be retained for a fifth straight season in 2020, with the Frenchman a relative stranger to the points this campaign.

Those questions were put to bed on Thursday, however, as Haas announced they’d be sticking with Grosjean and team mate Kevin Magnussen for a fourth consecutive season next term – and the 33-year-old is understandably delighted his future is now sorted.

“I’ve always stated that it was my desire to remain with Haas F1 Team and keep building on the team’s accomplishments,” Grosjean, a 10-time F1 podium finisher, said.

“Having been here since the very beginning and seen the work both [owner] Gene Haas and [Team Principal] Guenther Steiner put into the team to make it competitive, I’m naturally very happy to continue to be a part of that.

READ MORE: Haas confirm Grosjean and Magnussen for 2020

“To finish fifth in the constructors’ championship last season in only the team’s third year of competing was something very special. We’ve had our challenges this season, but we’ll use both the experience of last year and this year to move forward into 2020. I’m looking forward to working with Kevin [Magnussen] and the whole team and continuing our journey together.”

Magnussen, who had a contract for 2020 in place, said he’s looking forward to racing alongside Grosjean again next year as the team look to kick on from a difficult 2019 campaign in which they’ve struggled to get on top of fluctuating performance.

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“Knowing we can work to make things better, improve our understanding of our situation, and get back to the level of competitiveness we showed last season – these are the things that excite me about 2020,” the Dane explained.

WATCH: Grosjean and Magnussen take on Grill The Grid

“We’re a team full of racers, led at the top by [owner] Gene Haas and [Team Principal] Guenther Steiner. Nobody’s satisfied with how the 2019 season has played out, but the determination to turn things around is very much in evidence. I’m grateful the team have always believed in me and what I can bring to the table. We share a common goal and together with Romain (Grosjean), I’ll be giving it my all on-track for the remainder of this season and into 2020.”

Haas are currently ninth in the constructors' standings heading into round 15 of the season, this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.

Listen to Romain Grosjean speak candidly on his F1 career on Beyond The Grid