Haas F1 have confirmed they will field an unchanged line-up for the third straight year in 2019 retaining both Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean for next season.

The American team had hinted that an announcement was expected before the Japanese Grand Prix in a week's time and then caught a few off-guard by doing so early on Friday morning in Sochi.

It's a largely expected move given the performance of Magnussen for much of this year while Grosjean overcame a tough first half, littered with errors and crashes, and has produced solid results since.

"From the very beginning, we needed experienced drivers to hasten the development of our car and our team, and we have two very good and experienced drivers in Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen," said team boss Guenther Steiner.

"We’ve improved drastically from last year to this year, so retaining both drivers was a pretty easy decision."

Indeed, Haas has become a much stronger and much more consistent midfield threat this year and sit just 15 points behind Renault in fifth in the Constructors' Championship.

"I think the 100-point barrier should be and will be broken, and we’ll do it with Romain and Kevin,” added Steiner.

"Both drivers push each other to be better, and their collective feedback allows us to be better. It’s not a coincidence that in their second year as teammates, Haas F1 Team is having its best year.

"By keeping Romain and Kevin together, we aim to do even better next year."

For Grosjean, his retention marks his continued presence in the building of the Haas team, having been there from the start in 2016.

"It’s impressive to see what this team has accomplished in such a relatively short time. I take a lot of pride in the time, effort and sacrifice we’ve all put forth to make Haas F1 Team so competitive," he said.

"Gene Haas has built something very special – something we can make even better – and it’s an honour to be a part of it."

For Magnussen, this is another key example of how he has progressed since the difficult years with McLaren and Renault.

"I’ve never been in a better situation than the one I’m in here at Haas F1 Team," said the Dane.

"This is a team filled with racers and we’re all striving for the same thing. There’s no bureaucracy and everything is very straightforward.

"Gene Haas is all about efficiency, and he and Guenther Steiner have created a very efficient environment that gets the best from its people.

"We all believe in each other and that’s why we’ve achieved as much as we have."