The experienced
Romain Grosjean will pilot one of Haas F1's cars in 2016 as it becomes the
first American team to compete in the elite division of motorsport for 30 years.
Grosjean, from France, was unveiled at a news conference held at
the team's base in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on Tuesday.
He has 78 grand
prixs under his belt, along with 10 podium finishes, and will make the move
from Lotus at the end of the 2015 campaign.
The 29-year-old
is in his third year at Lotus, having spent one year driving for the team under
its guise as Renault in 2009.
He will link up
with the Haas F1 team which is the brainchild of Gene Haas, co-owner of
Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
"What Gene
Haas and everyone at Haas F1 Team is building is impressive, and I'm very proud
to be a part of it," Grosjean said.
"Formula One is incredibly competitive and the only way to
succeed is by finding new ways of doing things.
"This is a
new opportunity with a new team that is taking a very different approach to
Formula One. I believe in their approach and they believe in me.
"While I am
committed to giving my absolute best to my current team in these last five
races, I am very excited for what the future holds at Haas F1 Team."
Haas has already
tasted success in the premier U.S. racing series when the Stewart-Haas Team,
which he founded with three-time Sprint Cup champion driver Tony Stewart, won
the 2011 Sprint Cup Series championship.
F1 last expanded the grid in 2010 when three new teams joined.
Of the trio, two are still racing in their current guises -- Caterham and
Marussia.
"We wanted
an experienced driver capable of developing our car and our race team into one
that can score points and better itself each race and each season. We found him
in Romain Grosjean," said Haas.
"I've been
involved in motorsport for a long time and learned early on the most crucial
component is the driver. Romain has strong credentials and he will be an
important asset to Haas F1 Team."
The last U.S.
backed team ran a limited number of races during the 1985 and 1986 seasons
under the Lola-Hart moniker.
Other American
teams to enter the sport include Eagle, which debuted in 1966, as well as
Shadow and Penkse, both of which raced in the 1970s.
The USF1 team
launched an unsuccessful bid to join F1 for the 2010 season after difficulties
securing financial backing.
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