Who should drive for Haas in 2016?

Ferrari's recent decision to stick with Kimi Raikkonen for a further season, coupled with the announcement by Williams at Monza that it will retain Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas for 2016, means the focus of driver market speculation has now shifted to Formula 1's newest team.

Haas F1 will utilise a close customer relationship with Ferrari to join the grid from next season, and the team has said it has spoken with around 10 different drivers as it seeks to finalise its line-up.

Here, AUTOSPORT's Formula 1 writers put forward their suggestions for who should drive for Gene Haas, when his outfit becomes the first American team to race in F1 since 1986.

Quick, experienced drivers are up for grabs
Ben Anderson, Grand Prix editor

Looking at the available options, if I was Gene Haas there are three drivers I would seriously consider.

Top of my list would be Romain Grosjean. Haas wants an experienced driver to lead the line, that's why he approached Nico Hulkenberg, and Jenson Button has ruled himself out even if McLaren decides not to take up the 2016 option in his contract.

Hulkenberg eventually decided to stick with Force India, but Grosjean is also fast, experienced, and has a podium track record in F1, so would fit the bill just as well.

As Heikki Kovalainen found out at Caterham, joining an ambitious new team with money behind it can blow up in your face, but the close links to Ferrari make Haas an interesting prospect for Grosjean.

He's contracted to Lotus for next year, so would be tied to Renault should the French manufacturer complete its proposed buy-out. But - just as with teams - contracts can be bought and sold.

My second choice would be between Jean-Eric Vergne and Kevin Magnussen. Both are fast drivers, forced out of F1 race seats too soon by circumstances not entirely of their own making.

Vergne has the benefit of three seasons of experience racing for Toro Rosso, and is also impressing Ferrari with his performances in the simulator since signing as the Scuderia's test driver for this season.

Magnussen is clearly fast, and would bring a wealth of knowledge from working with McLaren (still a big team despite its current struggles), but he has the disadvantage of being less experienced than the other contenders, and is not close to Ferrari in the way Vergne is.

If Haas feels compelled to take a Ferrari reserve, which the team has previously said it will do, then Vergne edges out Esteban Gutierrez for me, based on their respective track records in F1 so far.

Don't rule-out Rossi
Ian Parkes, chief F1 correspondent

Let's face it, what could be better for F1 in America than an American driving for a team based in the United States? The public relations impact of signing Alexander Rossi would be immense.

Yes, Haas initially decided to overlook Rossi based on his inexperience, despite holding talks with the 25-year-old Californian.

But lo and behold, out of nowhere, Rossi has thrust himself back into contention with a drive for Manor in five of the remaining seven grands prix of this season.

When you consider his GP2 exploits, come the end of the campaign Rossi can at least lay claim to having driven the majority of the tracks on the current calendar.

Rossi may not be blessed with one-lap pace, but he works hard and is capable of putting together a solid race.

His unfortunate debut crash in FP1 in Singapore aside, he is usually a safe pair of hands, something that will be greatly valued by a new team in its debut campaign.

Haas has made a big deal of late about signing a driver with experience, and to my mind the candidate at the top of its list should be Romain Grosjean.

The Frenchman has come on a long way since his crash-happy days during his first full season in 2012 that ultimately earned him a one-race ban following a horrific incident on the opening lap of that year's Belgian Grand Prix.

Grosjean took steps to rectify matters, even seeking advice from a psychologist, since when he has matured into a quick, confident racing driver.

After four years in F1 with Lotus, collecting 10 podiums en route, you could argue Grosjean deserves a move up rather than switching to a start-up team.

But at least the 29-year-old would have the opportunity to mould the team to his liking, and to make a significant impact with F1's newcomers.

Why Gutierrez?
Lawrence Barretto, F1 reporter

Gene Haas has made it clear that he favours an experienced line-up for his team's Formula 1 debut next year.

With that in mind and with early target Nico Hulkenberg out of the picture after re-signing for Force India, Romain Grosjean is the best option available.

Haas will get a driver who has proved himself capable of running at the sharp-end of the field and has the hunger to succeed.

Grosjean has evolved into a more mature character who is more at ease with himself following the birth of his two children.

At 29, Grosjean is in his peak years, so his next move is crucial.

Haas' close tie-up with Ferrari could prove to be hugely beneficial as it would thrust the Frenchman back into the Scuderia's thoughts at a time when Kimi Raikkonen's seat could be there for the taking for 2017.

To me, it seems like a relationship that would benefit both parties.

The second choice is trickier. Esteban Gutierrez has long been considered the frontrunner.

The Mexican brings budget with him as well as F1 experience but though he showed flashes of speed at Sauber, he was too inconsistent.

With budget not understood to be a pre-requisite to gaining a drive, I think Ferrari's test driver Jean-Eric Vergne is a better bet.

Sure, there are doubts about his attitude but he has three years of experience in Formula 1.

Across those seasons, he performed strongly against his team-mates, particularly last season in what was an unreliable car.

The Frenchman is quick and after a stint in Formula E, he will be keen to prove Red Bull made a mistake by choosing Daniil Kvyat over him for 2015.

That hunger and experience could prove to be crucial for Haas if it wants to avoid the fates of Caterham and HRT.