Haas team boss Guenther Steiner said in Bahrain on Friday that the US outfit will reveal its all-new driver line-up for 2021 in the next two weeks.
Haas is expected to confirm a rookie formation comprising Ferrari junior Mick Schumacher and Russian F2 charger Nikita Mazepin.
However, as both drivers are engaged in this weekend’s FIA Formula 2 Championship finale in Bahrain, Haas is logically reluctant to distract the pair from their commitments at Sakhir.
“We plan to announce it before the season is ending,” said Steiner. “We don’t know exactly the date yet, or the day, but it’s not long to wait. It’s a maximum of two weeks, so please be patient.”
With just three points to its name in 2020, Haas’ season has obviously fallen short of expectations, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen struggling to extract pace as well as consistency from the team’s VF-20.
Formula 1’s decision to extend the life of this year’s chassis into 2021 and regulations that will allow for only limited development mean that Haas will likely be hard-pressed to improve its fortunes next season.
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Steiner says ‘survive’ is what Haas did best in 2020
But Magnussen believes the period of restrained progress is perhaps the right time to bring in a pair of young apprentices.
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“If we bring in rookies – if – I think next year is a good time to bring in rookies,” said the Dane.
“Because next year the car will not be developed a lot. There’s a freeze on the car, a homologation of the car, so you cannot make big changes.
“Obviously we can make aero changes, but the car will not change in terms of fundamentals.
“So it’s a development, and not a new development. And next year our focus will be on the ’22 car anyway, so I think it’s a transition year.
“I think it will be a good year for rookies to come in, to learn about being in F1 to start off with, getting to know the people around, getting to know how to go to press conferences, and things like this.”
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