Kevin Magnussen, a driver full of sheer grit and determination has proven to be a ferocious force on track. So far this season Kevin has shown to resort to the team game by supporting not only his team Haas but also his teammate; Nico Hülkenberg. To score points for the Amercian-based team. But playing the team game has also upset drivers around him due to the tactics the Danish driver resorts to. But is Magnussen’s driving style a boost that makes track action exciting? Or too extreme for the safety of the drivers on track.
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
The second race of the Formula 1 season near the Red Sea was the first sign that Magnussen resorted to helping the team to score points. Fighting with Yuki Tsunoda, Alexander Albon, Esteban Ocon, and even Logan Sargeant, the Haas driver resorted to cutting the corner out of Turn 4. Aiding in his defence to allow Hülkenberg the chance to score points. However, the Danish driver was awarded a 10-second time penalty for the infringement as he did not give the position back to Tsunoda. Even though, Kevin was already awarded a 10-second penalty at the beginning of the race. For forcing Albon close to the wall before Turn 4.
The result of these two incidents meant Kevin Magnussen was given 20 seconds of time penalties in total. And was relegated to finishing 15th from crossing the line, 11th. But this was not the end of Kevin’s woes, as he was also awarded three penalty points to his super licence. The maximum number a driver can accumulate on their super licence is 12. And if a driver accumulates said 12 points, then the driver in question will face a one-race ban. Meaning they will not compete in the next race weekend.
Chinese Grand Prix
In the battle for 13th place, Magnussen took the gamble to overtake Tsunoda at Turn 6 to battle with Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon just outside of the points. Unfortunately, the Danish driver collided with Tsunoda sending the Japanese driver into a spin and resulting in Yuki retiring from the race. Kevin’s actions determined by the stewards that he “braked late and collided with” Tsunoda and was given a 10-second time penalty.
In the post-race interview, Magnussen with few words summed up the race as taking a consequence from the qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Clearly showing that he was not happy with the performance of the Haas. Even though on the opposite side of the team garage, Hülkenberg managed to score a point for the American-based team. Hülkeneberg labelled it as an opportunity as “one of the top five cars had a problem.”
As a result, Kevin Magnussen was given another two penalty points on his super licence. Now totalling five.
Miami Grand Prix – Saturday Sprint
Magnussen’s weekend around the Miami International Autodrome would be his worst race of the season so far in terms of driver discipline. Beginning with the 19-lap sprint on Saturday morning. He was handed three penalty points in Saturday’s race for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage by holding the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. To keep his teammate Haas Nico Hülkenberg ahead as he tried to defend against Hamilton. to thwart the Mercedes from being able to chase down his teammate who was running seventh.
In a post-race interview with Sky Sports F1, Magnussen made his thoughts clear:
“I started using these stupid tactics which I don’t like doing, but at the end of the day I did my job as a team player and Nico scored his points because I got that gap for him so Lewis and Tsunoda couldn’t catch him.” So the Haas driver’s total penalty has now increased to seven. Five away from a race ban. But that wasn’t the end of the weekend for Kevin Magnussen.
Miami Grand Prix
During the race on Sunday, Magnussen was found to be “wholly responsible” for the incident at Turn 3 which resulted in the Haas colliding with Logan Sargeant and causing the Safety Car to be deployed on lap 29. The stewards imposed a 10-second time penalty on Magnussen in addition to two additional super licence points being added to his licence. This makes the Danish driver come away from Miami with only two more penalty points away from a race ban.
But to make matters worse for the Haas team, another rule violation committed by the team contributed 20 seconds to his final race time. As he ended up finishing 19th in the Grand Prix. Why? Because the team failed to change the tyres when pitting him under the Safety Car due to the front-wing damage to his car caused by the Sargeant clash. Thus the team was found to have committed another violation of the rules.
Conclusion
So the question remains is Magnussen’s behaviour justified or a step too far? There are two sides to the coin in this story. Magnussen so far this season has helped in his capacity to ensure that the team achieve points. And in doing so, has aided his teammate Nico Hülkenberg to score the points while Magnussen plays the support role between the two drivers. As a Formula 1 driver, you don’t want to be the driver who does not score points. But your teammate does. But in the case of Kevin Magnussen, the Danish driver knows it is for the betterment of the team. And understands sacrifices are made with his decision.
But his driving style should be put into question.
On every race highlighted in this article, Magnussen has either collided or aggravated the driver he has come wheel-to-wheel with. Which does not set a good example of racing. And Kevin has admitted to fault for his actions. But for the Danish driver to retain his seat next season, he’ll need to improve his behaviour on track. To become more aware of how to attack and defend more effectively with the need to cause another incident. Because the next incident he may induce may result in a race ban.
If you would like to learn more news about the world of Formula 1? “Lando Norris ‘Finally’ WINS a Grand Prix!” or “The Miami International Autodrome: Formula 1’s American Horizon.”
Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
