Magnussen running out of time to buy ride for 2017 (5th Update)
11/10/16 UPDATE With today's announcement that Palmer is staying at Renault, and with Hulkenberg already signed, Magnussen is definitely moving on and Haas might be a where he lands.
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| Magnussen's check wasn't big enough for Renault, but it was for the anti-American Haas team |
11/09/16 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen will switch from Renault to the American team Haas for 2017, a source told us on Wednesday morning.
The Dane had been hoping for a longer stay with the works Renault team, but according to the source the deal to instead be Romain Grosjean's teammate from next season is now done.
One report elsewhere said the 24-year-old's contract is for 2017 only, but our source insisted that is in fact a "factual error".
"It's very definitely not a one year deal. It's a multi-year deal. I know that for absolute certain," the source told us.
10/31/16
(GMM) Gunther Steiner has admitted Haas has been in touch with Kevin Magnussen about 2017.
With Dane Magnussen's future at Renault uncertain, reports emerged in Mexico at the weekend that the American team Haas has made him an offer.
But team boss Steiner denied that.
"I was surprised by the story," he told the Danish newspaper BT. "We have not given Kevin Magnussen a concrete offer."
However, Haas is openly contemplating whether to keep or drop Esteban Gutierrez, who has scored none of Haas' 29 points this year.
Steiner said: "We have not yet taken a decision on our 2017 lineup, and we are talking with a number of drivers. But that's nothing strange — it's our job."
Ekstra Bladet, another Danish newspaper, also quotes Steiner as saying: "We talk to Kevin, just as we talk to other drivers.
"It is no longer ten (drivers), but two or three. And among them is Esteban."
Steiner also said Haas' talks with Magnussen are in fact nothing new.
"It's no secret that we spoke with him at Monza last year and since then we have kept in touch," he said. "He is a driver who deserves to be in formula one."
As for whether the much more heavily sponsored Felipe Nasr or Jolyon Palmer are also in the running, Steiner said: "To be honest, I haven't spoken with them."
10/30/16 Word in the Mexico City paddock is that Magnussen has an offer from the anti-American Haas team to drive for them next year. The Haas team refuses to hire an American driver and hence has picked up the name anti-American Haas team. Another scenario of course is that no American is stupid enough to pay to drive for the Haas team without any chance of winning.
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| Anti-American Gunther Steiner has gotten rumors started with Magnussen to get Carlos Slim to cough up more money for Esteban Gutierrez |
09/14/16 Kevin Magnussen's chances of remaining at Renault are running out, according to Danish newspaper BT.
The publication reports that a 2017 'option' in the former McLaren driver's contract expires on 30 September, with only this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix before then.
"If the option is not activated, Kevin Magnussen is free to negotiate elsewhere," BT claimed.
Danish F1 commentator Jens Hansen, has also claimed that the Anglo-French team may not be prioritizing driver choice right now.
"Mainly, Renault needs to take control of its organisation," he said.
"They are having trouble finding new people for the factory in England, and secondly they need to prepare their car for next year, because if it's not good, it doesn't matter who's driving it.
"So the drivers are probably in third place now," Hansen added.
He also suggested that Magnussen may have missed chances to convince Renault to re-sign him for 2017.
"I have no doubt that had Kevin delivered two or three more performances like the one he did in Sochi, he would have a contract already," said Hansen