Haas' improvements attracting drivers, says Steiner

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says that Haas' new found pace is making them a very attractive team for drivers. The American squad's driver line-up for the 2019 season is not yet known, as both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean are out of contract.

However, it is expected that Magnussen will get an extension after a standout first half of the season. The Dane has picked up 45 points so far this year, and sits eighth in the driver's standings. But question marks linger over Grosjean, who has had a mixed season.

Haas has enjoyed a successful opening 12 races to the season, as it sits in fifth place in the standings, fighting at the front of the midfield. When it comes to picking its line-up for next year, Steiner says that the drivers are knocking at his door, rather than the other way around.

“I wouldn’t say we are shopping around. You know, a lot of people are shopping with us, put it that way,” he said, speaking during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend. There are people asking for obvious reasons and they want to see what we are doing and if somebody is asking that doesn’t mean they want to come, in my opinion, they might just be asking to see what other people are doing.

“We will decide after the holiday what we are going to do but at the moment we don’t think about it. There are a lot of people asking and it is part of my job to know what is happening in the market place. Yeah (there is more interest), but I have a good relationship with a lot of these guys anyway. I’ve got relationships with people and you just talk and they ask what is going on here and I give them the same answer.”

A number of drivers have been linked with the team, including Sergio Perez. Carlos Sainz is also available for a drive next year, but Steiner wouldn't comment on who the team is eyeing.

"It’s all ‘potentially’ and I don’t know where they are. For sure, they go round and say I’m potentially on the market but it doesn’t make it a fact. At the moment it’s more gossip, because nobody has pulled the trigger yet on anybody. Everyone is looking everywhere but no one has decided what to do, so somebody has to make the first move.”

Fergal Walsh