The newly formed Haas F1 Team made an official driver announcement earlier today. The American team broadcasted the announcement live on YouTube where they announced one of their two drivers from the 2016 season.
There have been several different drivers reportedly in the talks with the team. Names like Vergne, Rossi, Gutiérrez, Grosjean and Alonso have come up in these rumors. Gene Haas told the press earlier in the year that he wanted an American driver and a driver that had driven in Formula One recently.
In the days leading up to the announcement, many had speculated who the first driver announced was going to be and now it is official: Romain Grosjean will be leaving Lotus to join Haas at the end of 2015. The Frenchman doesn’t fit Haas’ original American driver requirement, but he has driven a Formula One car since 2009, currently racing for Lotus this season. He made his debut with Renault in 2009, after having been the team’s test driver in the previous season. It wasn’t until 2011 that we would return to Formula One, as a Lotus test driver and then a contracted Lotus driver the following season.
“Taking a decision about your future isn’t easy,” Romain Grosjean posted on his Twitter account. “I’d like to thank my family and friends for their support. Proud of our choice!”
It is still unknown who the second driver for the team will be, nor is it known when they will be announced. This hasn’t stopped the media from speculating. Many seem to believe that Esteban Gutiérrez will be making the step up, while others seem to side towards Alexander Rossi. The announcement today comes as a loss to Lotus, but a great addition to the Haas F1 Team.
