Because the Russian regular driver Nikita Mazepin was no longer an option due to Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Haas Formula 1 racing team had to rush to install a new driver for the 2022 season. In the person of Kevin Magnussen, they trusted a veteran who knows the team very well. Another old acquaintance, on the other hand, would probably not have jumped in so spontaneously.
Title sponsor Uralkali gone, regular driver Nikita Mazepin gone, but Haas should still be in a good mood. Because both Mick Schumacher and the “old” newcomer, Kevin Magnussen, impressed in the Formula 1 tests in Bahrain. The latter stepped in for the dismissed Russian Mazepin just a few days ago and was probably awarded the contract because he already drove for Haas between 2017 and 2020.
At that time, however, Magnussen’s teammate was not Mick Schumacher, but Frenchman Romain Grosjean for the entire three years. After Magnussen’s comeback, the question arose as to whether Grosjean would not have been an option for Haas. But the current IndyCar driver refused strictly.
“Many people have asked me if I would have returned. I would not have done that,” Grosjean told “motorsportweek.com” and gave the reason: “I feel very comfortable in the USA and am happy in IndyCar.”
Grosjean, who survived a horror accident in Bahrain at the end of the 2020 season almost unscathed, although he crashed into a guard rail and his car broke in two and caught fire, has graduated from the pinnacle of motorsport.
“I had an incredible career in Formula 1, but the races are behind me now, the whole thing remains a big part of my life,” emphasized the 35-year-old, who in 2018 together with Magnussen was fifth in the constructors’ championship with Haas reached, but then brought in worse and worse results in the struggling racing team.
Grosjean: Mick Schumacher has to adjust to that
“Now I’ve opened the next chapter, and that’s about winning races and championships,” he explained, looking back on his IndyCar career, where he recently narrowly missed the title “Rookie of The Year” and added: “So I would not have answered a call (from the Formula 1 racing team Haas, d. Red) positively.”
Grosjean likes the fact that his former colleague Magnussen is back in the cockpit. “I think it’s great, I’m so happy for Kevin,” he said. “He’s a really great guy. We didn’t always get along well because we had different views on how team-mates should behave.”
But after a few contacts on the track, there was a clarifying conversation. “And then everything went smoothly.” According to Grosjean, Mick Schumacher will now have a competitor who has a lot of experience and is fast. “Kevin’s strength is that he can always do something with the car. It doesn’t have to be perfect to still get good times. He can do it,” praised the Frenchman.