F1: Haas's decision on 2017 drivers on hold

Haas F1 will wait until after September's Italian Grand Prix before it starts to assess its driver line-up for 2017.

Romain Grosjean has been the standout performer for the American team in its first year in F1, scoring all 28 of its points so far. Teammate Esteban Gutierrez has endured numerous technical issues with the VF-16 from the outset, coming close to the points on three occasions with 11th.

While the experience of the duo would naturally prove an asset for Haas given next year's significant regulation changes, Ferrari junior and GP3 championship leader Charles Leclerc is understood to be in contention.

Addressing the issue of who will be in its cars in 2017, team principal Gunther Steiner said: "Nothing has been decided. I've spoken specifically with Gene [Haas, owner], and we've said we're not talking about drivers, or what we are doing, until the European season is over.

"It's a distraction. In the end we know what everybody can do, but we need to see a little bit more, and where we want to be.

"As a team, what do we want to achieve next year? There is so much unclear as to where we are. But as soon as the European season is over we need to start to make decisions, get things moving.

"We actively do not want to talk about drivers until the European season ends, because it would lead to opinions being put there people would misinterpret."

Asked whether Grosjean and Gutierrez were at least doing enough to retain their seats, Steiner said: "Yeah, absolutely. Everybody here is doing a good job, and we have no problems, with either the engineering staff or our drivers. We are pretty happy."

Steiner recently made clear his feelings on Leclerc, who drove in British Grand Prix first practice and has another four FP1 outings lined up this season. Another junior waiting in the wings is GP3 rookie Santino Ferrucci, who spent two days testing with Haas at Silverstone last week. Although the 17-year-old American is not yet ready to step up to F1, and does not meet the requirements needed for a superlicense, Steiner felt he acquitted himself well.

"I was positively surprised how ready he was for it," said Steiner. "He worked hard to understand all the things he could do with the car, which are so complex, yet he was very good with it.

"I was very surprised with his speed. He is young but he was very prepared, and he surpassed expectations.

"We overlay data, compared to drivers, and the engineers were all pretty happy. There were a lot of smiling people."

Originally on Autosport.com