Last month, the Haas F1 Team announced that it will have an all-new driver line-up next year, with Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen both being dropped.
Grosjean later revealed that team owner Gene Haas told him they weren’t retained due to “financial reasons”, and it now seems that F2 drivers Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin will land the two vacant Haas seats.
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Amid the prospect of Haas fielding two rookies in 2021, Grosjean has said it’s important that inexperienced drivers are given a shot in Formula One and admitted that he was “blocking” rookies from entering the sport by sticking around at the team.
“Rookies need to have their chance in Formula 1,” Grosjean was quoted by RaceFans.net as saying.
“I’ve been here for 10 years, blocking kind of a seat for 10 years, and if the team goes for two rookies, well, good for them, and I wish them the best.”
Grosjean went on to point out how things have changed for rookies over the last decade or so:
“Obviously in my days we were probably a little bit less prepared than the drivers are nowadays. The young categories have got really more professional. So I think it’s not easy to compare.
“The only thing I can say is that I was convinced I was ready when I came in and I wasn’t. And obviously I paid a heavy price at the beginning after 2009.
“But I’m very much different [now]. I know exactly where we need to bring the car before the weekend. I know how to drive it, how to get the best out of it when it’s not going the way you want it. That’s really making a lot of difference.”
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