Grosjean: Gene Haas' honesty over F1 team's future is positive

Haas told Autosport recently that he wanted to be sure his squad had a chance of being competitive in the future if he was going to continue the huge investment required over the next five years.

But while those comments left some uncertainty about the fate of Haas, Grosjean thinks that his honesty should be applauded as it now gives the team members a clear message about what needs to be done.

"At least he clears things up," Grosjean told French TV channel Canal+.

"There is nothing worse than someone who says 'No, no, we'll stay in Formula 1, everything's fine, etc', only to stop the whole thing completely by surprise."

Haas has long maintained that he is only interested in racing in F1 if his team has a chance of fighting near the front, and he confesses that the struggles the team faced in 2019 were hard to take at times.

Grosjean says that Haas' mindset is the right one to have, especially because he is not someone who has come into the sport just to be on the grid.

"Gene was clear: he joined F1 to put the Haas Automation brand on the map.

"He now has this reputation and the brand is well known.

"He came to Formula 1 also because he likes motorsport, he's a true petrol head.

"Now, is there a single person close to Haas who enjoyed watching Formula 1 races in 2019? I perfectly understand what he said, and I find it rather positive.

"Sure all the mechanics are thinking 'Really? But what's going to happen?', they have more doubts.

"But the management, drivers and engineers know we've got to work.

"Then, as far as the mechanics are concerned, I assume that if Gene pulls the plug, the team will stay or will be bought, as it is a great squad with a successful model and has people who can work efficiently."