Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean will remain at Haas for the 2018 Formula One season, team owner Gene Haas has confirmed.

Magnussen replaced Esteban Gutierrez for this year and has helped the team amass 29 points at the halfway point of the 2017 campaign – equalling the total they accumulated across the whole of the previous season.

Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi and Charles Leclerc had been linked with a position at Haas next term, but the incumbent duo of Magnussen and Grosjean will be retained.

"We will run with the same drivers that we have this year again next year. That is a given. And given the other continuity aspects, we should be better racers next season," Haas told the official F1 website.

"My guess is that we will score at least another 29 points [this season]. And next year, without a big car or engine change, and with the drivers the same, that should give us a nice continuity boost.

"Esteban was a good driver. He was as fast as Romain in practice, but I think that Kevin has an edge in terms of race experience. He can score points and that was the key for bringing him on board. Kevin can grab points and Romain can too."

Despite a vast improvement in their second year in the sport - the team are seventh in the constructors' standings, four points behind Toro Rosso - Haas is keen for the team to avoid resting on their laurels.

"I would say the honeymoon is over. Now comes the tricky part of living together!" he joked.

"F1 is a challenge, it is not easy - coming to a race every second weekend and seeing opportunities slipping away, you know that you have to work harder to achieve what you want."